No Strings Attached
by Zadrien
Summary: Getting taught from an earlier age by someone who seeks a revenge far more bitter yet the application gives a greater chance for Naruto's survival. The M Rating is for Language, Eventual Sexual Content... Yaoi/Slash/Het Themes but not Main Pairing
1. Chapter 1

The streets were crowed, as the tail end of the festival met it's end. Staggering drunks, and nearly passed out children were either dragged or carried by family or friends. The sixth year celebration of the defeat of the legendary nine-tailed fox was a joyous occasion save for one small blonde child. Who now was muttering pleas as foot, fist and blade connected with his body.

Hours passed as a huddled mass of flayed flesh and blood and a mop of blonde hair laid curled around the remains of his intestines and other organs. Hung between the balance of life and death, a faint reddish glow coated ever part of his body and the pulsing blue light from a seal on his belly the only two sources of light in the sewers of the village.

Pulling the pipe from his lips, a strong crease in his brow, " I don't care if you have to level this village. Naruto must be found." The mans voice ground out. "Two weeks... and nothing." the aged man turned to glare at the collected councils of his village. "Find him." He placed his hand gently by all appearances on to the desk only for it to splinter and shatter under his light touch.

–

The faint glow of red barely visible as the boys skin was now mended and not a sign of injury to be seen save for the constant bubble of his flesh as it burned and regrew instantly. The remains of his clothes long gone. His blue eyes stirring open. "Why?" He muttered hoarsely as tears brimmed once more. He struggled as he pushed himself up.

Elsewhere not far from the village borders a different kind of why? Was being asked. The destruction was massive. Bodies and broken puppets littered the crater filled grounds. The sole 'survivor' pushed himself up from the ground. His read hair and slightly waxen skin seemed unscathed as his dead eyes surveyed the aftermath. "Why?" the cold voice asked to no one as he pulled scrolls from his body and began to seal parts, pieces and even bodies into them. 'I don't know how you did this, But I will destroy you Orochimaru.' The mans thoughts burned.

'I only have one left.' He thought as he looked around. 'I need to lay low and rebuild but where?' His thoughts drifted and calculated. 'Konoha,' he nodded to himself. 'The bastard will come there eventually. Plus Pein and his 'group' want the kyubii as well. I want them both to burn and...' he thought a smirk growing on his waxen features. 'Yes that will work nicely, if the information from the Uchiha is right I just need to be nice to the brat and teach him and he will practically worship me.' His mind made up the young man made his way towards the village not far from where he now stood.

"Sasori-sama," silver hair bowed to the man. "I wasn't expecting you."

The red-head nodded, "There have been a few changes to my plans. You will not be joining Orochimaru as thought. I will need your expertise here." He handed a scroll with the bodies. "These creatures were once human I want you to find out what happened. As well I have left the group. Instead I want to see them all destroyed for their betrayal."

Kabuto nodded, as he twitched to open the scroll in his hands right away. "I see and I assume I will be needed for those plans as well?"

Sasori nodded, "Yes. I plan to train the Uzumaki boy myself. In secret of course."

The young spy could see the purpose of that. "I warn you in caution. The boy is brash, unfocused and needy."

"Good, I will train him. Mold him into a true shinobi and tell him the truth."

Naruto blinked. He was hearing someone talk about him and it wasn't bad. Someone wanted to train him? He pushed himself through the small opening he guessed he had fallen through. "You want to teach me?" His voice was meek but held the hunger of acceptance.

If Sasori smiled he would have done so, instead he turned to look at the nearly naked boy, his clothes still covered in blood. "If you are Naruto Uzumaki then yes." The boy even nearly recovered from his near death, again, started to get hyper. "But. Only if you do exactly what I say, how I say and when I say. If you disobey even once..."

Naruto gulped, but nodded. He didn't want to chase away any chance of being a ninja. Kabuto watched before he nodded to himself. "If Sasori-sama is going to be your sensei then I will help as well."

Sasori looked at his young spy, "Very well." He looked between both of them. "I will give you one year to correct him Kabuto. You know what I expect." He looked at Naruto, "I will not waste my time. If you do not learn from Kabuto I will not teach you the secrets that will make you stronger than any hokage." Having knowledge of the boy came into use as he noted the determined and fierce expression that came over the boys face. "Now I will know if you aren't following through." With that said he disappeared into shadows.

Kabuto looked at the young blond. "Naruto-kun." He started. "I know how strong he is, and if he wanted he could just take out the hokage with out much effort. He did it before in his old village." The medic nodded sagely. Placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder, "I have a year and I'm not going to waste it, I will make you hate me, because Sasori will make me look like nothing when it comes to training."

Naruto nodded, "You two and the old man are the only ones who seem to like me. You're even going to help me there is nothing you can do that will make me hate you." He said with conviction.

-Four months Later-

"Kabuto.. I hate you..." Naruto growled out, as his small hands glowed with a teal color. The wounds on his body sealing up unscared.

The silver haired nin laughed, "Your control is much better now Naruto-kun." The nin spoke softly. Three months of chakra control to the point the boy was nearly surpassing him. He honestly didn't think it was possible for one so young. But then, He had taught him several methods to work on and the boy had combined them in strange ways to make them even harder after he figured out how to do just one.

"Six hours every day I would think so Kabuto." the boy smirked. "Plus those shadow clones work wonders."

He shook his head with a smirk, "That's a trick only you can pull off. I'm just glad it worked with out killing you." He healed his own scratches from the boy, "Now how far have you gotten on the scrolls I gave you?"

The blond smirked, "You should know since I just healed myself." He pushed off of the ground, "And yes before you ask I did put on the memory seal."

"Good, it will burn out in about two months but it will be enough between you and your clones to correct many of your patterns and habits that work against you." After a month of trying to teach Naruto he had reached out to Sasori for any suggestions in making the boy calmer, or more attentive since his energy levels were down right ridiculous. Of course Sasori seemed to have already been prepared for this and simply handed him two scrolls. One for the Shadow Clone Jutsu, how he got a village secret jutsu Kabuto didn't want to know, the other was a seal that would modify Naruto's mind slowly to created a more focused child, as well it would improve the boys retention even if he only glanced at it. Not to mention Sasori could look at what the boy learned from that point on but that wasn't mentioned.

"So what are you going to teach me now that your daily ambush is over?" the blond smiled.

"Since you are studying the academy course books with your clones, and the supplemental items as well I figured we would work on Medic training?"

"If I didn't know what that could do in a fight... I would say no." Naruto smirked. " But since that's all you -ever- use to kick my butt I say let's do it."

Kabuto smiled, this boy was only six years old. But the potential that he was tapping was a rare gold mine. The drive, the sheer power the kid had at his disposal was ungodly. Yet he was still just a small kid with innocence and wonder at the world even after how he has been treated and grew up. "Alright, there is something you will learn in the future that will explain why you have so much chakra, and why you heal quickly on your own. It's something I am not allowed to tell you." He shook his head, "Which I want to, but until the seal has worn off I won't. We need to make sure you can keep it even more secret than me teaching you."

He wanted to scream and yell for it, but it never worked. With a sigh, "Just like I find notes from you on what books to get from the library and when to go there so I won't get kicked out." Kabuto nodded. He never personally gave Naruto anything to study. But rather sent him to get it himself. To the world the boy was just doing things on his own out of curiosity, the fact Kabuto always manipulated what he was curious about and letting him get in to get it with out having problems was a different matter.

"Exactly. Now," he pulled a scroll and unsealed the body inside. "You should have a basic understanding of the human body. But you don't really understand until you've done it." He spoke as he looked at the blond. "You are a very hands on learner. So today I thought we would try that approach. Since as a medic nin you will be asked to do autopsies and even surgeries you must get accustomed to real bodies live or dead."

Naruto wanted to be sick, but he recognized that face. This was one of the guys that was always hurting him. "isn't that?"

"Yes he is one of your attackers. He was.. unlucky and was poisoned. But personal issues aside you will treat the body with respect and learn from this." He motioned to the table, "Now let us begin."

-Sx months in-

"Tell me Kabuto how is young Naruto doing?" As he tinkered on a creation of his.

"The shadow clones have pushed the seal further and has corrected the issues. Yet, his chakra is still growing exponentially."

Sasori looked at him, "I have been looking into that." He dusted his hands off. "After you mentioned this before I decided to study his seal. The one containing his prisoner." he walked over and pulled scroll from his desk. "I will give the Yondaime credit as a genius with Seals. Yet, it wasn't something done with full thought. This contains an overlay that will mesh into the array already in place. The current one not only leaks the youkai into the body as is needed for a host to survive but also into his reserves and pathways. For now the demon is dormant it seems the fact that as long as the boy isn't aware mentally of it it cannot contact him to take over." He handed the scroll to kabuto.

"that would explain the constant issue of his control if he slacks off his training." Taking the scroll he pocketed it. "What exactly will this do so I may explain it in a round about way?"

The red head nodded, "It contains a few things. The first will stop the leak into his pathways until he is almost depleted, slowing down the growth of his reserves so he can actually gain full control of his chakra." Turning and going back to work on his project. "It also will reinforce the seal to practically ban any form of mental intrusion from the beast. By strengthening the seal. The last bit I am quite proud of a piece of art I will say. It pulls the boys natural chakra into the seal, to mix with the demons before it enters his pathways again. Further purifying the chakra before it has any chance to taint the boy more so than it already has."

Kabuto was mildly shocked, that there were so many flaws but after researching the topic it was glaringly obvious that it was something that most people didn't see as an issue since those like the boy were used as nothing but weapons. "I will place this on him today then. Explaining it has to do with the secret I can't tell him yet, but it will further deal with his chakra problems."

-The end of the year-

The boy was far different than he was a year ago. Sure he was still loud and energetic, yet under that if you knew to look you would find the calculated thoughts, the hidden knowledge. Sasori was pleased at how well Kabuto had instilled Naruto with the skills of not only a spy but surprisingly medical prodigy. The boys few qualms about being a medic were gone and he was a few years behind truly being perhaps better than any medic. The ingenuity he naturally possessed always led him to a different answer that would fix an unknown issue.

He watched as they sparred observing the finesse the blond deployed with each motion, so at ease yet several moves in advance to look spontaneous. "That's enough for today Naruto." He heard Kabuto speak, "It's been a year today did you know that? I have a present for you since not only have you completed my training but it's also your birthday."

Sasori watched naruto's eyes light up. 'Praise is a very effective tool for this boy I must remember that.' He continued to watch as Naruto opened the small package to reveal new clothes, and a few books and scrolls.

"Kabuto-sensei... thank you."

"No thank you Naruto, for being such a good student." The silver haired boy said with a true smile. "you needed new clothes and as much as you like Orange so much is not good for a ninja." he watch the blond blush. "The scrolls and books are my own. After working with you I decided that I wanted you to have a copy of all my notes and skills to study on your own as a medic."

The blond looked up, "What do you mean? Aren't you going to be teaching me anymore?" 

Kabuto frowned, "I will still be around to help you but, your training with Sasori-sama will be taking up much of your time. Plus as a shinobi I need to start making myself stronger so you don't pass me anytime soon."

Naruto laughed, "Yea I guess but I feel bad having to use the Shadow clones to do all of this.. it's like I'm cheating."

With a shake of his head, "It is cheating. But that is what Ninja do, we cheat we lie, we fight, we protect, we kill and we heal. You know the lessons by heart now there is no 'Fair' way in our world The sharingan steals jutsu yet even with your clones you still worked on earning this knowledge and skills."

The blonde seemed pensive for a moment before he smiled, "Yea you're right even though it's a clone it's still me. I still get tired if they do, I still feel everything they did and what they learned."

Sasori chose that moment to reveal himself. "I see my two apprentices have done as I have asked of them?" He walked forward with his own scroll in hand. "I too have a present for your birthday. One is that I will take over your training as you continue to follow the rules." He handed the scroll to the boy. "The second is that I will teach you a way of being a shinobi that no one in your village knows."

Naruto took the scroll and looked at it before he read through some of it. "Puppetry?"

"Yes why fight yourself when you can have multiple puppets that are designed to fight for you under your control?"

"But that not fair..." Naruto started to say until the words sunk in, "but then we aren't fair."

Sasori nodded with a hidden smile. "I will show you one puppet of mine." He unsealed his favorite puppet the Third Kasekage. "This is a Human puppet. The ultimate sign of being a master of this style. Simply because it is difficult to master and create this but also because these puppets still can use any jutsu they knew while they were a live, and fighting styles, techniques or bloodlines can be used through them." He sealed the puppet away, before he unsealed a smaller puppet that looked similar to Naruto. "This will be your first puppet. Along with that scroll you will be able to learn to control it. In one month I want you to be able to do so with out looking like you are controlling it."

Naruto stared at the puppet of him, seeing how unless you got really close you couldn't tell the difference. "Okay I'll do it."

"Good." The man looked to Kabuto. "You are allowed to let your time with Naruto become public. Spend time showing that you are teaching him the skills you have." Looking back to the young blond. "Now that you have started the academy you are allowed to learn techniques, though the only branch that isn't restricted by rank is that of medic."

He blinked, "So that means I can stop pretending to suck so much?" He smiled.

"Yes as you put it." Here Sasori smirked, "I want you to focus on your training there. Even if you already know it." He pulled a dark blue journal from his pockets. "This is a book over the introduction to Fuinjutsu or Sealing. It is something you must know to master your puppet." handing the book over to the young boy. "It will make what you have learned so far seem simple. But time is of the essence so this is what we will do to ensure all our bases are covered."

Sasori began introducing the plan after thinking it over for several months watching Naruto's skill and control rise in this one year. Every day Naurto would make two Clones with as much chakra as he could first thing before sunrise. He would send one to Sasori and the other would continue working on control and other studies that would be assigned. While Naruto would attend classes and work on gaining the acceptance of a select few students that Sasori gave him. "These three will be a great asset to you and also friends. They do not understand the stigma around you. You may choose to reveal it to them as I am about to reveal it to you."

Thus began the telling of jinkurichi and how Naruto now bore that cursed legacy. The blond sat silent through out the explaination and even further details about the group that would be coming for him in several years. They waited in silence as he mulled over what he had just learned. "So, the seal that Kabuto placed over the one on my stomach fixed the major problems that it would have caused to turn me into one of those monsters?"

"Yes, though there are still certain aspects that I couldn't change because of the original seal." Naruto seemed confused. " The orginal seal let the chakra stream constantly into you causing you to have to much chakra in your pathways constantly."

"Making control almost impossible." Naruto added.

"Yes, but that is fixed. Only when you run far too low will it inject you with Chakra. Chakra that is already mixed of yours and the beasts. However it's chakra is constantly being leaked into your body, because of a dependance created on it."

The blond didn't seem to happy, "I'm addicted to it basically. But it sounds like with out it I would actually die so it's a forced addiction."

Sasori nodded pleased so far, "The last thing that I fixed was it's ability to contact your and influence you mind." He looked between the two boys, "There will however come a time when the seal may weaken or is broken, you must learn to defend your mind from any thoughts but your own."

"Meditation then?" Kabuto replied.

Naruto seemed confused.

"Yes however it may cause the demon to become aware." He looked to the small boy, "You must find ways around everything the demon does for you. As of now it's the regeneration, I trust you two will think of a technique to mimic that quality using your medical knowledge?"

One took it as a challenge, the other an intrigue that now stood before him. "So how often would you like to meet Naruto? I have Thursday and sundays off from team training and my duties at the hospital."

The blond smiled, it was so awesome that he could keep his friend, plus it would let him stop having to pretend to be a dummy. "We could do both days after classes, I mean one could be just working on what I need to know the other could be studying the regeneration and meditation?" Sasori let another smile show through, 'The boy is picking up so quickly.' "Plus if I slowly improve over this year we could also show it that you have been tutoring me so it's not a big change."

"You have been paying a great deal of attention haven't you Naruto-kun." Kabuto smiled.

-First day of classes-

Naruto was up almost at 4 am, stretching he created his two clones for the first of many days this year. With a nod to them they took off to their own places. He however went through the work outs that Kabuto had made for him, sit ups, pull ups, pushups, and various stretches that would work each muscle group. Something he was happy about, however the dietary control wasn't even knowing exactly what he needed to eat Ramen would always be his favorite. Though because of the high need for calories because of his reserves he could still eat it often just had to have a lot more other healthier things as well.

'Okay, day one of stopping being an idiot,' He smirked. Slipping into his new clothes a pair of black cargo pants, that he taped off around the ankles and a black sleeveless shirt with a dark green Uzumaki swirl on the front. He smiled as he slipped on his shoes and walked out the door. The brisk run to the school was the last touch of his morning work out, also it was the safest way to make sure he wasn't attacked again.

He waited and watched as different students came in until his target walked in. It was the one boy that he felt and Sasori pointed out was treated like him to an extent because he to had something inside him.. bugs. He waited for a moment, "Shino-san you can sit here if you would like." He motioned to the empty seat next to him.

The boy seemed to think for a moment, but given you could see almost none of him due to his coat and his glasses who could tell. "Thank you Uzumaki-san. The offer is most welcome." Before he sat down, Naruto noticed several of his kikai float away and scurry and search the seat before their master sat down. "Though I admit curiosity as to your invitation."

Naruto nodded, "Last year I was pretty stupid, but I did notice somethings." He shrugged, "No one really talked to you and I always heard others saying you were weird. I was just as bad even though I get treated worse than that. I wanted to apologize for assuming rather than getting to know you."

The dark hair and glasses nodded, "That is understandable. Though I do wish to know how you changed so much in three months."

'Slip kabuto in about now so it's going around.' He thought to himself. "Well after the end of last school year I decided I was going to work really hard no matter what. Sadly the only thing I knew how was chakra control and that.."

"Was abysmal?"

"hehe Sure. Well someone noticed me trying over and over again before he decided to do what I am right now. Giving a chance to get to know outside of rumors, he offered me advice and then just started stopping by and helping when he could." he shrugged again. "Guess he saw potential or something, but he's been teaching me different control methods and even suggested I try and learn to be a medic since I always seem to end up hurt."

"You do sustain frequent injuries, I was always curious as to the source."

"Kabuto said that I shouldn't tell anyone unless I trust them." running his hand through his hair. " I mean most people know that I get chased and attacked all the time because.. well I really can't say yet, people just don't understand me I guess."

The Aburame sat in silence for a time before he spoke, "Then perhaps with time we will come to such an understanding."

Naruto smiled, 'Sasori is really to smart I think. But whatever I think I might have made a friend.'

School and his 'other' life had continued on as normal as could be he guessed. His friendship with Shino was moving nicely, after several weeks of talking and hanging out he was really learning quite a bit about the other boy. Not to mention other kids were starting to notice the changes in him. Though it was Iruka holding him after class that really set the pace for some of the plans.

"Naruto I need you to stay after for a moment." their Sensei asked, as the rest of the class left Naruto waited. Iruka walked over and sat down next to him. " I have to say after last year you are almost a different person. I'm impressed with the changes."

Blond hair nodded, "Yea... Kabuto-san really helped me straighten out my head." He blushed softly. 'No need to let on to much but enough to get back to the old man I guess.'

"Kabuto? Isn't he much older than you?" Iruka asked, since that name wasn't to common in the village there was really only one boy he could picture. Silent, intelligent and perfect chakra control very difficult considering he was a male.

"Yea he caught me working with the leaf exercise and I quote. 'After watching you fail for nearly five hours and you are still not suffering chakra exhaustion I decided it might be prudent to assist you.'"

Iruka laughed, "Yes that does sound like him." Rubbing his chin, "Does he help with anything else?"

"Oh yea.. he basically retaught me everything I should have known but didn't. I mean I didn't even know the names of the other countries.. or even that the Hyugga called their eyes the Byuakugan." he looked sad for a moment, "But after I started getting the exercises down, he said my control might be good enough to start learning to be a medic. I think he was joking because I always got hurt, but I thought why not... He's been tutoring me a few nights a week I can even do this now." he manifested medical chakra, his hands glowing light green for a moment before he ended the jutsu.

Iruka was stunned, but was concerened because that was a rather advanced technique because it took quite a bit of chakra. "How easy was that for you?"

Hiding his smirk, "Oh.. well pretty easy... I mean kabuto tested me and found out I have really large reserves. He guess I should have started control exercises when I was three, he thinks it might be a bloodline or something." He raised his shoulders and sighed.

'If his reserves are that big it has to be because of the demon, but to be that large already is ridiculous, I need to talk to the Hokage about this.' he thought, "does he do anything else with you?" Hoping it was just tutoring but there were some sick people out there.

"Yea he does, he's teaching me to meditate so I'm not so...' easily distracted by shiny or moving objects'. He said it's probably a side affect from having so much energy." He smiled, "isn't it great I thought I really sucked but it's the fact that I am super awesome that makes it so hard."

"Alright, that's all I need to know.. keep up the good work." he smiled, "maybe I could take you out for Ramen?"

he bit the inside of his cheek, "I had ramen yesterday.. and I didn't do anything chakra heavy so I'm not allowed until friday."

"Not allowed?"

"Kabuto is a medic Iruka-sensei... he told me it would keep me short and weak if I at it all the time.. so he makes me eat super health foods." he said making a face, "but when ever I do a lot of Chakra work outs I'm allowed to have it because of the calories it has."

Iruka nodded, 'sounds like some is finally taking care of this kid.' "Alright then maybe friday?"

"you bet.. can I go now? I need to start reading basic anatomy books.." He faked a shudder.

Laughing, "Sure you can go." He watched the blond hair vanish beyond the door.

A few hours later found Iruka standing infront of the Hokage. "So he's been receiving lessons from another ninja." Sarutobi spoke after listening.

"Yes, in control and medical training." Iruka rubbed his chin, "I hope the boy doesn't get introuble for teaching an academy student."

The hokage smiled, "While teaching civilians is not allowed once they start on chakra training students are allowed to learn certain skills to see if they can further themselves." He looked out the window, "However Medic training only has the stipulations of the ability to manipulate chakra and nothing of being a shinobi."

"What?"

The old man laughed, "Yes the laws do not see medic skills as being dangerous on any level." He knew far differently having had Tsunade as a student. "I think it's time to test the capacity of the students...in private of course. Standard control versus reserves ratings."

Iruka nodded, "Everyone just so we know were Naruto stands in the scale."

"Exactly. Plus this training seems to have nearly stopped all of his pranks. Also given he's not learning combat skills the council might ease off of him giving him more room once he's put on a team?"

they both nodded knowing how much politics played into ruling and ruining that boys life. "Yes Hokage-sama." he turned to leave before he looked over his shoulder, "Kabuto suggested his reserves were some sort of bloodline."

"That is a sound theory given the boys name is Uzumaki."

Elsewhere-

The sound of wood clacking was the only thing to be heard, "Very good Naruto." Sasori spoke as he motioned for him to reseal the puppet. "You almost have it down but your focus is still wandering just a bit to much."

"How is me not moving at all going to make me better at this?"

"Simple, I'm glad you finally asked." Sasori answered. "Chakra is your natural energy. How is the real you controlling you with out being here? Or how dose a henge work with out you controlling every detail?" He didn't expect an answer. " Once you have manifested the chakra for those jutsu just like these Chakra strings you simply need to think and will it to act."

Naruto's mouth opened into a large O shape, before he shook his head. "That makes sense with what Kabuto taught me about chakra control being the will over the the power."

The puppet master nodded, "Yes, control eventually becomes like breathing you not often have the think about doing so you simply do." He motioned to the desk. "Now we have two more hours before you have to dispel. Create four explosive tags with five second delays and a single use storage seal."

The blond moved to comply and began slowly drawing with the ink on the simple papers. His tongue sticking slightly passed his lips in concentration. "Next month we will begin controlling your puppet while you craft seals. You must learn to divide you attention to several tasks at once or you will be hard pressed to learn to use multiple puppets at one time."

With the other clone, he had moved to an abandoned training ground and worked his way through each of the control exercises to find a point where he needed to continue working. This Naruto was now seated spinning five wooden disks on his finger tips, in different directions and speeds. Slowing them down to a stop or speeding them back up. His face scrunched slightly in solid concentration. Before he simply 'poofed' from existance. The disks dropping the the ground to be unattended.

"Good morning class, Today we are going to bring back an old test to help us get a feel for your progress. We will do this test once a month until you graduate." Iruka spoke to his students. "It's rather simple as it tests only your control and your capacity for Chakra." he smiled looking at everyone. "As this is the last friday of the month, we will do this on the same day to get a good judge of your ability." he motioned to his assistant. "Muzuki-san will be taking and testing the girls while I will handle the boys. Remember Chakra is important but not the beat all win all of a ninja. Should you wish to or need to improve your control we will provide you with the next level of the exercises."

The two sensei moved to different doors, "One at a time you will come in take the test and return to this room. Your results are yours to share if you wish, but outside of yourself and which ever one of us tests you Only the Hokage will be allowed to see the results." Misuki stated sounding unpleased with not getting the boys.

Time moved slowly for Naruto, beign they always went alphabetically he was typically always last. However he was surprised that Shino came and joined him imediately after being tested. "My control is almost chunnin level." the bug user spoke. "My reserves however only tested below gennin."

Turning to look at his friend, he seemed puzzled, "I thought your reserves would be much larger seeing how your Kikai are constantly feeding off of them."

"That is true, however my clan contractually offers eighty percent of our reserves to our hives."

Naruto quickly did the math, "Well that would place your reserves at almost Chunnin level then right?" the small nod from his friend was all he needed. " did you ask for the next level ?"

"No, it furthers control they didn't offer a way to improve my reserves." Shino spoke, and if Naruto wasn't so used to the slight inflections at this point he wouldn't have noted the sad sound. Or maybe he was hearing the kikai in their low hum.

Scratching his head, 'Should I give him one to build his reserves? I mean the tree climbing works control but it drains the reserves quite a bit too so that would build them up.' he thought a while linger before conceding he should . "Shino, I know one that would increase both control and your reserves." he wrote down a rather detailed set of directions for the tree climbing exercise and handed it over.

Shino looked them over for a moment, "This seems logical, and would prove very useful"

Nodding his head, "Yea plus if you do it long enough to burn most of your available chakra often enough your body will increase in how fast your reserves replenish. Just make sure that when you train like that you increase your calories so you don't starve your body."

"You speak from experience?" The raised brown over the glasses the only noticeable feature.

He rubbed his head, "Yea, plus Kabuto-san explained that medically it's energy and high calories help with ensuring we don't feed on our bodies to much." he looked to the Akamichi not to far from them, "Chouji-san and his clan are designed around caloric based justu it's why they need to eat so much constantly."

It soon came to Naruto's turn, walking into the room he noticed a large metal cylander with seals painted across it in different levels. He looked at Iruka, "This is because of our talk the other day isn't it?"

The man felt the sense to be a bit sheepish, "Perhaps but you brought up a valid point and the Hokage agreed to make sure our teaching scales were fair." He motioned to the large rod, " This is the control test, the objective is the place you hands here." he pointed at two handles. "Then channel your chakra as I call out the different numbers. While maintaining the previous ones."

Naruto almost placed his hands down, before he looked over, "What's the target goals?"

Iruka smirked, "If I told you would you be fair in doing it corectly?"

Naruto frowned, "No but I don't want to get anyone introuble because they were teaching me to much."

"That's fine, but control exercises are just refining tools nothing that can cause trouble. Even if only the leaf exercise is known perfect control is still manageable." he smiled.

With that Naruto too the test, and it seemed like forever but thankfully his attention training with Sasori seemed to be the deciding factor as it made the test last far longer than it should. But Iruka called it off. "So how perfect is perfect?" Naruto asked with a slight smile of pride.

"How much longer could you have kept up?"

"Dunno it didn't seem to hard really."

"Then I will say you have perfect control. Only Shikamaru has the same level of control." Iruka smiled. Pulling a small instrument out, with a display reader he placed it onto the desk. "Now this test is the tiring one." He placed a soldier pill on the desk next to it. "This is designed to drain your chakra to the point of exhaustion. It's the reason we did this on a friday so you could recover after wards."

'Shit shit shit,' he thought as he looked at the tester. 'I don't really run out. Not with the reserve seal mixing my chakra with fuzzy butts, it will just dump it after I hit almost empty. Then I'll just start sucking it's chakra which will totally screw up everything for a few days.' he bit his lip for a moment. 'Fine I'll just have to pull when I feel the seal activate, I just need to pay attention to it.' He placed his hands on the pad and waited.

"Alright this isn't going to feel pleasant but it will be over shortly." Turning it on.

Naruto thought 'shortly yea right,' Followed by , "O kami that hurts." Outloud as he felt his chakra being sucked out rapidly. He clamped down on the discomfort as he payed attention to feeling his chakra and watching Iruka's face. Time seemed to slow down, until he felt a slight burn. He pulled his hands off and dropped to the ground, as his chakra stores seemed to fill up as if he had just taken a super soldier pill.

Iruka seemed lost as he stared at the number that showed on the screen, unaware to Naruto getting back up and simply pocketing the pill. Taking it might cause him to explode. "That's not..." he turned to look at the blond who seemed tired. "I can see why you had such control issues...what exercise are you working on now?"

Naruto mentall noted the number to ask Sasori and Kabuto about before he answered, "I'm working on the coin rotation. I can do five almost." Which was true he hadn't gotten past that level yet but by the end of the year he figured he could get all ten.

Iruka nodded, "That's well... you don't need control help I can tell that much. It's a medic level control, as for your reserves I would suggest not using any exercises that build them until you master that one." 'Master my ass he had Jounin level reserves already. No wonder the council is breathing down the Hokage's nexk about teaching this boy any dangerous jutsu.'

It was a few days before Naruto met with Kabuto but he held his thoughts until then. Getting the questions answered by a clone wasn't something he wanted. Even if they thought like him he much rather wanted to be the one to ask. Sure using them for training and studying was one thing but this was something he had to mull over on his own. "Kabuto there's something I need to ask and I want to to talk with you and Sasori personally about it."

The silver haired medic looked up from the notes over recreating the Healing ability. "What is it Naruto-kun?"

He let out a tired sigh, "I've done what we planned, but it seems the Hokage got interested in my control and my reserves so he pretty much had the academy reinstated the control and reserve testing." he looked up from his own notes and saw that he was being looked at, "The control test was fine... I scored perfect but since I'm already on medic exercises it was to be expected."

"I'm sensing a but."

"Yea the reserve test... it scares me. Since it force drains your reserves to empty..."

The light caught off of kabuto's glasses much as if the idea lit up in his mind, "And because of Sasori-samas seal when you hit bottom it dumps it straight into your reserves."

Nodding, "Yea and it burns like hell."

"Burns?"

"Yup, we've never tested it...I mean you and Sasori never let me drop my chakra that low." He looked out the window. "If I hadn't been paying attention I might have let it pull all of that too.. I mean it registered my reserves at 48743."

"That's jounin level... and you said that it was fully replaced when the seal activated?" Getting a nod,

"So the seal was holding roughly the same or more Chakra." he stood up, "We need to speak to Sasori-sama right now then."

The two of them cleaned up and took off making sure to loose any one that might be following them. Arriving at the workshop that Sasori had set up inside the forest Kabuto relayed what he was told. Sasori didn't show any expression yet they both knew he was thinking heavily.

"Burning, the mixture is off then." He spoke stiffly. "Let me look at the seal Naruto I will have to fix it."

Taking off his shirt he felt the cold fingers touch the seal. The few sounds that were escaping his true teacher weren't a comfort either. But after nearly an hour of looking at it he pulled away and walked to his desk pulling out a scroll that he opened to reveal a copy of his seal that after the over lay had been placed. Kabuto on the other hand was running a few higher level scans to see if he could tell anything.

"It seems I didn't take into account a few things that didn't seem important at the time." Sasori finally spoke. "Your seal it seems is designed to slowly increase the amount of the demons chakra over time. Based on your reserves, to compensate against your natural production of Chakra."

"His pathways were also enlarged it seems. Along with his body recieveing a mild boost from the excess. His cellular density increased."

Sasori chuckled, "Of course it's so simple now." he started looking over the scroll more in detail as he started scribbling notes on another page. "The whole purpose is clear now. The seal was designed to make you not dependant on the demon but rather to make you control it. Turning you into a war machine.. designed for combat and destruction." He started creating another overlay while continuing to speak. "The reason it burned is I didn't factor in an over flow for your body. The conection to your body and chakra coils wasn't split. Instead it used one sole outlet to accomplish both, my orignal overlay locked it down to a set outpour into your body... the rest was simply building in the mixing seal." He hummed for a moment. "So if I reverse that and set the amoutn allowed into the mixing sealand allow the rest to over flow into your body..."

"My dependancy would get higher, making my attempts at not relying on the demon futile." Naruto spoke up finally. " can't we set both or alter the seal to allow only so much and not gradually increase? Or Set both, but find a way to either get rid of the excess or put it to some other use?"

"The only way to do that, would to create a seal that would constantly need to be compressed, and then further powered to use. But what purpose would that serve unless the seal was something useful like a detection seal or a barrier or some sort." Sasori was thinking out loud in response to Naruto's statement.

Kabuto quirked a brow, "Is there a way to make a seal that would mimic a Sensor type?"

"That would be easy, but it wouldn't need to have varying levels of..."

"Unless the simple sensing of chakra was the base of the seal always being active, of course the range would need to be decent to have to deal with the power. But then you could put in Elemental detection, genjutsu detection, Gender and other such things could be added. Causing each one to consume more Chakra to use. Leaving it to be a massive drain to seek beyond the basic of where and how far."

Naruto smiled, "That would be awesome. Plus it would give me a super unfair advantage." the smirk in his voice caused the two men to turn to look at him.

Sasori laughed, "We've turned him to the dark side...Truth is so much more powerful when wielded as a weapon." Thus causing the other two to freak out for a moment before laughing along. Though naruto didn't fully understand the meaning of the words the other two did. Plans were moving so smoothly. Calming down, "I do have a copy of the old array that was once used for the Village detection network but it wasn't kept up so they discarded it."

"What about neural damage form the over load?" kabuto questioned against his idea.

"His use of the shadow clones has already caused his mind to handle instant burst of large amounts of stimulus and information." He rubbed his waxen chin, "though perhaps not activating it all at once until he become accustomed to it."

Listening to this was getting interesting, sealing and medical stuff were really fascintating to him now that he had studied into it. When the idea hit him. "Hey...what about creating a seal that mimics or gives me a bloodline that's powered by the excess demon chakra. It would allow it to alter my body like it's suppose to right? Plus it would let it work in a fashion we wanted. It would also keep me not dependent on it even if I were to either survive it being taken or some how have it blocked I could still use my chakra just fine to do so."

The two adults blinked sheepishly at each other, before the realization just what Naruto had said struck both of them. "The seal... on the bodies." kabuto whispered. Sasori on the other hand, "Naruto.. you are officially a genius. For today."

Pulling out the scrolls from kabuto's findings, the two and a soon motioned over Naruto began to look at it. " there would have to be a second stage to the bloodline. This one is designed like a power up, then a transformation." Kabuto finally said after getting the mixed input of bot Sasori and naruto's out of the box thinking.

"Well being a sensor would be awesome.. So it would have to do with locating chakra or Chakra in general then."Naruto was talking out loud, a brainstorming habit. He blinked when he noticed two things on the scroll. " Hey isn't that Like a Chakra reserve, and that's a mental link to the person who places the seal."


	2. Chapter 2

The sun was setting over a solitary training ground, as flashes of blond hair caught in it's last remaining light. Naurto was practicing doddging. Against who you might think, well himself. His clones had set out an hour ago to rig thre training ground with low powered explosive notes as well as a handful of other less explosive but far more pointy objects. Most eight year olds would find this less than a fun time but Naruto however was laughing as he flipped or sidestepped a kunai or an explosion.

Kabuto was watching from the side lines, with a note book in hand taking down notes. Even with Naruto's ability to fight with puppets he still wanted to learn a way to do it on his own in case something doesn't work out. The medic didn't quite understand what he meant by that but then after nearly two years under his and Sasori-sama for training he was surprised anyone actually understood the boy. He had taken to their training like a fish to water and went from a koi to a shark.

Today was also a stress reliever for them both, their combined work on duplicating the seal wasn't going so well. It seemed the Kyubii's chakra was going to reek havoc with the seal simply because of the level of power it contained. Though it seemed it would fight the seal from internally as well trying to destroy the changes made to the boy, it would be a constant burning battle to an uncomfortable stale mate neither complete or unfinished.

The last light of the sun had Naruto landing next to his older friend, "Kabuto-nii, I was thinking..." He seemed bashful.

This set kabuto on edge seeing as he taught Naruto how to act, "About what Naruto-kun?"

"Isn't the demon chakra like a poison?" He looked to the distance. " I mean for it to be in anyone elses chakra system it would probably almost kill htem from the pain, and it's corrosive energy. But." He looked up at his older friend. "But since I've practically always had it in me I... wouldn't I have like at least an immunity to it?"

He thought over the younger boys words, "From a medical stand point yes you do have some immunity to it. Though it seems it's not at a base level. It's more like an addiction reaching a plateau. You're body has a constant source and a 'fix' so you don't suffer the with drawls, but are still having to have it." He smiled, " I see what you are thinking actually, if we want the seal to actually complete we need a stronger source of chakra even by a minute amount."

Here Naruto smiled, " Or a way to weaken the Demon Chakra in my body enough to let the seal work until it's finished."

Silver hair fell over his glasses for a moment, "But if we weaken the demon chakra you'll go into withdrawls."

Naruto shook his head, "Not realy, I mean aren't we using the demons chakra to power the seal that is forcing changes in my body?" He shrugged, " I mean if I'm deprived of the 'drug' and we use the 'drug' as a source to put something in me then would my body latch on to it even more tightly because it's trying to absorb the demon chakra that way?"

Blinking, "I will talk this over with Sasori-sama for you, but." He paused and smiled. "I have something for you that I think you should learn a deeper understanding of." He pull a moderately sized scroll from his pack. "This is full of different types of poisons, you should learn to craft them and their antidotes. Even if your body fights them faster with your own skill and the push from the kyubii."

"As well so I can use them in combat." Naruto smiled, "So is this a private time training oooor." He used the evil puppy eyes of doom.

"It will be our night of training, but I wanted you to at least familiarize yourself with them before then." he patted the boy on the shoulders, wondering briefly what his life would be like if Sasori hadn't come to Konoha.

-Academy days-

It became a very frequent and all to normal occurrence for Naruto and Shino to be seen working together in classes, training or even just sitting and enjoying their lunch together. Blue eyes were laying there watching the clouds, "Shino... what would you do if you could use more of your chakra?"

Silence was his answer for a time, "Our contractual obligations will never lat us have more of our chakra."

"Huh... I wonder why though? I mean the larger your reserves are does that equal out to a larger hive or more powerful Kikai?.. I mean that doesn't seem balanced at all." he was thinking out loud but he was curious.

Shino turned to look at his friend seeing the near serious expression he wore, "We do not solely carry only one hive of Kikai. At certain points in our growth and our chakra increases we are given different colonies to contain." he paused, "The contractual percentage is to ensure that they have enough to maintain themselves, to grow and to use to heal themselves."

the blond was nodding durring the explanation. "So if you ran out of chakra would that mean they were without too or does it separate itself because of the bond?"

"Why the curiosity in the bond between myself and the Kikai?" Shino queried, "It's a strange conversation for one not sharing a similar connection."

he closed his eyes, 'Now or never.' "Shino, You once asked me why people treated me differently. It's because of what I have inside me." he opened them to look at his friend, "If I put a kunai into a scroll does that change the scroll?"

"No it is simply the device for storage."

"Now what if the scroll could channel certain aspects of the kunai. As in it could sharpen it's edges because of the kunai inside." He asked, because that in essence is what he could do.

The bug user tilted his head, "That would be the same as why my clan does with our kikai. We hold them as a storage scroll yet we can access some of the qualities."

The blond nodded, "I am what is known as a jinkurichi or a prison for a demon." he said softly. "But mine is the demon that attacked eight years ago."

Shino seemed to ponder over the qualities of what was just said for several minutes. "That would explain much, yet the fould chakra that you emitted our first year has diminished greatly."

"It's because I found a way to keep it from coming out to much, though I guess I am like the kikai. As I am the one who needs it's chakra to live. Like an addiction but one I can't help."

"That is why they fear you, because they think you are the demon, or that you will unleash it upon us." He spoke in his monotone. "Yet you have not even after the way you have been treated. I am not so sure I could have resisted that temptation if I had been you."

Naruto broke out into a smile, "You don't know how much that means to me Shino, you are my best friend."

"That would be the equivalent for me as well." Shino nodded while pushing his glasses up.

Running his hands through his hair he folded them behind his head laying back down, "Do you think anyone else could understand?"

The black sun glasses seemed to scan the other students as if thinking or rather remembering the differences between everyone. "Nara-san would be able to understand and would find it mostly to difficult to care. That would also bring Akamichi-san, which given your eating habits would provide competition."

"Well I could always challenge him to Shogi." Naruto laughed.

Shino twitched, "I hope that he didn't..."

"Did some one say shogi?" The Shadows fell over Naruto laying on the ground.

Cracking open a blue eye he looked up seeing the silhouette of a pineapple attached to a trench coat. "Do you have super hearing?"

The sound of the board landing and the pieces being set up caused him to sit up and look over. The always tired and bored looking boy actually had a smile on his face even if it was troublesome to conjure. "Since I challenged you can choose."

Chouji, the Akamichi tried to convey being sorry with a look. While Shino was calculating something that was only known to himself. With a smile Naruto, spun the board and took black. He was more a reactive fighter anyway so most of his own thoughts worked in the 'if they do this I can …' patterns. The game was slow and for anyone watching particularly agonizing to watch, as Shikamaru was thinking out each of his moves and Naruto was thinking out each of Shikamaru's moves and his own counter moves to each of the other boys options.

The lunch period passed yet the four boys were still there, for either support of their friend or playing the game. It didn't take long for Iruka to come searching for his missing students, yet when he saw what was going on he decided to wait rather than begin yelling. 'This might let me figure out more about Naruto, and the fact he actually has Shikamaru engaged in an activity' His thoughts carried him over to the game as he watched each move made with precision from both boys. Although Naruto's move was made mere moments after Shikamaru it was always a perfect counter. Playing went on for a few more hours before both boys looked up at each other with a strange smile.

"There are no moves left..." Shikamaru stated, "that will let me win with out heavy losses."

"You never planned out my moves against yours only what ifs based on my placements." He smiled as he packed up the game, "I made a plan for every possible move you made not to win but to force your defeat."

"What are you doing on the weekend?" Shikamaru asked him.

Rubbing the back of his head, "Outside of some training nothing...why?"

With a smile and a nod of his head, "I wouldn't mind playing again."

"Only if you come train with me before hand." Naruto smirked.

Shino and Chouji were both waiting for the other boys answer, "Alright I'll train with you as long as the game is this good everytime." The two boys shook on it. Though the three observers seemed stunned that a motivation for a Nara had been found.

"Okay I used the old field by the pine grove I'm there about five in the morning." he turned to leave but saw their Sensei. "Uh.. hi Iruka-sensei..."

the man blinked, "I would say that you four are in trouble but after seeing this little display I will let it go this one time." He smiled at them before turning and walking back in side.

-With Sasori-

"I take it our plans are moving forward then?" The red head spoke from his work station.

"Yes Sasori-sama, I've made friends with Shino and revealed the truth of my burden and the reaction was as expected." He smiled, "Also i've engaged Shikamaru in a contest of Shogi. Which I thank you for the lessons."

The puppet master turned to look at his young protege, "Very well done." The small smile and nod of his head brought a brighter smile to Naruto's face. "Kabuto has also informed me of your personal thoughts of the seal and it's chakra." He stood up and moved over another desk where the scroll of the different seals were opened. "Come look at this with me again."

He moved silently to the table and began looking at the diagrams. His knowledge of sealing didn't expand far beyond exploding tags, storage scrolls, and different suppression. But in knowing the basics you can discern more than you would think. "What have you figured out?"

Sasori began pointing to different places in the array as he spoke, "You were correct about the mind control portion of the seal. Yet that did lead me to a few discoveries. The person who places this seal not only can affect the mind of the host, but can drain their chakra, and even begin to alter their bodies to match his own." The slim fingers then started tracing different rays of the seal, "These are the 'bloodline' portions yet if you notice they are tied with emotional modification seals."

The blond looked closely at the places pointed out seeing the barest of what was being discussed. "But then this would make you a slave, and and.." he fumbled for the word, "Unstable...even with the bonus of the powers you would already have to be a few screws loose to want it."

Nodding, "Yes that is the same conclusion we came too as well, even if we were to remove them the whole process would still be a partial fix to your situation in the end."

Blue eyes turned up from the scrolls to look at the dull brown of his masters, "You found out something else about my seal didn't you?"

He bowed his head before he spoke, "Yes now that I have had a few years to observe it and study it frequently i've notice a few portions that have become increasingly painful in their mistakes." He looked back to his student. "I was caught up in the immediate issues that I over looked them."

"Well how to we fix them so this stupid demon doesn't screw with my training and our plans." His voice was low but the chill in it was enough to cause a brow to raise.

"Two of the three can be fixed one of them... is beyond my ability." His words soft on the ears. "The rate of increase is becoming exponential, I would guess at the rate it grows you should have been fully open to its full power by the age of twenty." He moved the scrolls until it showed the full diagram of Naruto's demon seal. "The third one is that your body is going to need to receive the chakra in larger doses it's starting to stunt your physical growth. The last is that this is a remote access seal," indicating a certain portion of the seal. "There's a control seal somewhere that can manipulate the rate at which the chakra enters into your system. If someone were to tamper with it with out knowing of our modifications..."

Naruto nodded, he knew enough that it would be capital B bad. "Well could we modify it enough to let the 'required' amount of chakra enter my body so I don't have to worry about dieing from this forced addiction?" He spat out. Then he saw something in the seal that caught his eye. Moving closer he started tracing the pattern with an increased intrigue. "Sasori, is this a conversion and alteration seal?"

The mans eyes shifted to where he was pointing and began looking it over. " It's a five point redirection and dissolution seal." He looked to his young apprentice to see a look of confusion. " It's the same concept yet, this is the point where the Chakra is taken from the demon and then passed into you. It 'spins' the chakra letting it enter your body while refining the rest to be able to enter your pathways."

Light seemed to fill the boys eyes, "So then this seal here is the one that's constantly getting widder and is also controlled by the 'key'." The red head nodded in response. " And this is the overlay you made to keep the chakra from going straight into my system." he bit his lip, " Couldn't we put..." He pulled a small scroll from his pocket and looked at it before he began drawing an explosive tag.

Sasori watched him with interest, as he noted a few key elements being left out of the tag. The timer for one, and the four pronged array for causing it to convert to an explosion, yet he still left the space open. The small tongue sticking out of the boys mouth in concentration was cute but he would never say so aloud. But then he saw something that amused him, Chakra conversion seals being placed on both ends of the array, The one that he could tell would lead into the pathways was a simple unuversal conversion to base chakra, yet the other one he didn't recognize. The seals were varied and even fairly complex for a boy to figure out. "Naruto what is that seal you are working on?"

The blond blinked and then looked up, "Oh... well you said the biggest problem was that more and more chakra would be forced from the seal and into me. That shit hurts sooo..." He shrugged, "If we forced the chakra after this point, "he pointed to where it left the dissolution seal, "To convert into Medical Chakra, cycle again and then be forced to convert to base chakra it would fix everything."

The man blinked, "How.. in the conversion you wouldn't loose enough to matter." he had thought this too but even shifting to elemental chakra and back would only loose about ten percent.

"Medical chakra has a loss rate of eighty five percent during the conversion, due to compression and purification making it purely neutral though much denser." the soft voice of Kabuto caught them from behind. "And with Naruto-kuns training in medical practices, the free radicals of the medical chakra that would remain in his system would reinforce his own healing, plus potentially lower his own loss rate to only seventy six percent."

Naruto beamed, as he drew three images of a glass, On full marked with a K, the middle one with only a little in it marked with an M and then the last with about a quarter in it. "If you could make this work I would only get about twenty five percent of the Kyubii's chakra into my pathways, but then it would have lost all it's 'umph' because of the double conversion and the double 'spin cycles'."

"Which means we could remove the overlays leaving this as the only reinforced seal but I would have to actually make it part of the true seal rather than an overlay." Sasori continued.

"Yes but it would have to be Naruto-kun activating and compressing it, since it would convert the medical chakra into his own rather than yours or mine." The older medic spoke with a soft smile. "Good job Naruto I don't think either of us would have considered that."

The smile on the blonds face grew larger, "Could we do it soon?"

The puppet master smiled, 'This boy has given me many ideas beyond anything I would have thought of. I'm nearly ready to begin my other plans.' Placing a hand on Naruto's shoulder. "Yes Kabuto and I will work on making it as flawless as we can. However you will have to drain your own reserves and the mixing seal to do it. As well you will probably have to suffer a few days to adjust to the extra Kyubbi chakra in your main body."

He grimaced, but nodded. "Last time though right?"

Both men nodded, each hoping so. "I've also decided after seeing this that I will let you start the next level of Fuinjutsu, as well let you begin to build your own puppets." The Red headed master decided, "You're showing great skill in your training and following our plans."

Kabuto coughed, "There is something I have found as well." he moved forward with a small folder, "It was my original intent. This is the file of Anko Mitarashi, she is the former apprentice to Orochimaru and also bares an active curse seal though not as advanced as the one we have been studying."

If Sasori believed in Santa Clause or Miracles this would be one of those times. "You and Naruto will seek her out and attempt to win her trust. Use the knoweldge of her seal if you have too she will be a very valuable ally to all of us."

The two boys nodded before they took off Leaving their master to his devices once more, which turned into making the concept into an even more powerful yet truly functional version. Looking over Naruto's notes on medica chakra conversion this would truly destroy the plans of his former colleauges. As he was going to take this a step further and attempt to convert the Kyubii itself though it would happen over time it would be worth it.

-Several days later-

Naruto was running through the forest being chased by a few of it's less savory and wild denizens. After riling them up of course, he was laughing and egging them on with shouts belittling them. He was also heading directly towards his target. ' Alright and she letting me get near, must aim to run into with out looking on purpose.' He smirked, "Ahhh.." 'Right into the sweet spots.' he turned his head to look back as he plowed around the coner and right into the bussom of the woman.

"What the hell brat?"

"Mphphm..." He pulled his head out and blushed profusely." I wa.. I was working on something and these things just came at me... I know I'm cute but didn't think I would be tasty!" He spoke as he wrapped himself around her leg.

She looked at the beasts seeing different poisoned kunai hanging from their flesh. "You're aim sucks." She flicked her wrist killing them off.

"Well if I wasn't fighting mutant forest things.. and actually thought Kunai were useful I might be better." he said in a somewhat sad voice as he pulled out the 'prize.' The stick was gone from his hand faster than he could blink. "My Dango!"

She smirked as she tossed back the stick, empty. "Sake flavored... good choice brat."

Flinging one of his kunai at her she caught it, "That's no way to thank the lady who saved you." She smiled sweetly.

Gulping, "Yah that wasn't for saving me that was for stealing my PRECIOUS DANGO!" he screamed and launched himself at her in an attack.

"You got spunk brat but your way below my radar." As she simply dodged his attacks, until he scratched her with a chakra scalpel. 'What the hell, kids got tricks... maybe...'

"Like you care.. no body cares... every one hates me in the village because.. well I don't even know... they all treat me like dirt is better than me... beat me up... try to kill me on my FUCKING birthday!" He kept swiping and swinging knowing full well he wasn't going to hit her much more than she allowed.

She paused and caught his hand, looking into his blue eyes with her own dark violet ones. "I may not care.. but I know how you feel kid."

"Why.. you're HOT, I mean look at that hickey!"

Her hand instantly clamped on her seal, "That's none of your damn business." She hissed at him.

"I've seen those before.." He blinked seeing the seal between her fingers. "Yours looks funny though..." 'Keep up the kid act but give her the hook.' "Yours is still working though.." He stopped fighting and began to stare at the seal with a curious look.

"What the hell do you know." She dropped his hand like it burned her.

"My Nii-san was working on something like that... something about how the seal isn't the real problem.. but he doesn't know enough about seals to fix it." He shrugged but held his gaze on it. "he showed me all the stuff it can do to the body, even if the seal was blocked.. cause it still works like a virus on top of the seal it's inside you too."

"We're going to see this 'brother' of yours." She snatched him up. "Now where do we go?"

Hiding his smile he told her where to take him, Fortunately Kabuto was ready as he had the diagrams from his research and the notes from Naruto and Sasori to begin looking at the seal in actual work. They vanished in a swirl of leaves appearing in the clearing of the 'lab' they were using. "kabuto-nii.. you have to see this!"

The door opened to reveal the medic nin. "Naruto. Where have you been?" He looked at Anko, "thank you for bringing my student back..."

He never finished, "She has the seal on her.. just like the one you showed me!"He grabbed the collare of her jacket and pulled it to reveal the seal.

'Well played Naruto.' He motioned her inside, " I'm sorry.. he's usually not this excited." He sent a glare at the blond, "But he is right. I have been working on that seal. We found some bodies a while ago with it and I wanted to figure it out." He looked sad, "I might have been able to cure it but they were already dead."

"Cure what? It's a fucking seal not some body disorder." She spat out.

"That's where you're wrong. The seal is the method of delivery... let me show you." He pulled out all his notes and the records of the scans on the bodies. She snatched them up and began pouring over them with a fire in her eyes. The two boys however shared a secret glance with small nods, it was almost to easy.

"What the fuck.. why didn't anyone else find this shit out?" She slammed the papers down.

"have you activated your seal before?" Kabuto asked. Getting a 'hell fucking no' as an answer he continued. "Then that is better than could be hoped for. Each use of the seal furthers the alteration and growth of the 'parasite'. Perhaps we could come to an arangement?"

"I'm listening but if I don't like it I'm gutting you both." She smirked, as she tapped a blade against her leg.

The silver haired medic nodded, "With further study on a living host I could possibly find a way to remove it or alter it enough to have you body reject it on it's own like a cold."

"What? You want to use me as a ginuea pig?" She shook her head, "Fuck that."

Holding up his hands, "No, I've already done the 'dirty' work on the corpses. I just need to see the interactions on living tissue simple scans and perhaps a few blood tests."

"I know what I get out of this since I don't want this fucking thing.. what do you want out of it?" She seemed on edge, but fuck it if what she saw was even half true she would be this boys sex slave if this worked.

Kabuto looked to Naruto then back to her once more, "Well two things... Naruto needs a fighting style, the acadamy forms don't work for him since he's much faster in his motions rather than in power." Causing Naruto to blush, "He needs a kunoichi style given his build, and the way it seems he's developing further." He moved and picked up an envelope handing it to her, "This is from the man that is helping me with the Fuinjutsu side of this problem. He knows it was created by orochimaru and has a very fervent near fanatical desire to see that man destoyed, and humiliated."

She took the enveloped and read the letter inside, and also caught the small item that fell out of it. The chakra left in it was enough to tell her what or rather who the finger came from. " I'll do it but nothing classified as village secrets."

He nodded, "Once my research is finished, and the solution found we can present the findings to the Hokage."

"After you make sure this damn thing is gone." They shook hands on it. "What do you need right now?"

He motioned Naruto over, "We will run some diagnostic scans. I've been teaching him the last two years in being a medic. We also know what to look for because of my research. After that I may need you to come by periodically for blood samples and a few non-invasive tests. Other than that outside of Wednesday and Friday evenings I would like you to pick a night or two to work with Naruto on his or a style." He lowered his voice so only Anko could hear, "They really don't treat him fair because of … it."

She nodded, "Gaki you're ass is mine every Tuesday and Thursday." She rubbed her hands together, " At least for this year... I'm 'grounded' from missions for now. But you are just going to be so much fun." 'Plus I'm even closer to getting this seal gone.. he could have asked for much .. much more.'

Several months passed and summer was fast approaching once again and Naruto had changed once more. His healthy diet, and exercise tied in with Anko's unique fighting style had seen him become leaner, taller and quicker. His 'clone' studies with Kabuto had him nearing on par with the older boys skills in the medical arts. Along with his advancing under Sasori with similar training his first three puppets were finished or rather his first two puppets and his concept for his third were finished.

The blond was working on crafting the arrays for his third puppet while he controlled and battled with his other two. The first was mocking at the Kyubii, a dull gray fox that stood about to his waist. It was a very light weight construct yet was rigged with several different ways to poison between it's bite or launching darts with flicks of it's tail, It also contained a few surprises in the way of seals that it could launch small orbs filled with acid or marbles engraved with several exploding tags from it's mouth. His second puppet was a reworking of his very first one of himself. Given that he learned the Serpent style from Anko he employed that into his puppet, the fingertips would shoot senbon in addition to it's strikes the palms of each hand held a chakra stamp each one different the left was a suppression seal that he could mark with and the right was a version of an exploding tag that would steal chakra from the marked person to activate it. Of course this meant that he built the puppet from much stronger materials to take the damage of combat.

Both of them had arrays that let him see through their eyes, and listen through their ears as it were. Making them great for spying or recon. Katsu, his fox, also had a modified sensor array that would pick up 'scents' or chakra signatures. While Naru had a recording matrix that would copy everything the eyes saw and then allow it to be played back with a genjutsu. Sasori had complimented him on his choices though had pointed out every flaw with harsh detail. But again for the first attempts he was pleased with Naruto's skill.

"That's enough for now, Naru almost landed a few disruptor strikes on my puppets." Sasori began, "Now show me this concept you've been keeping secret."

Naruto nodded, hiss blond hair pulled back into a ponytail. Having grown it out and found a way to tame it into a silken lay out. "I've been thinking about Shino-kun. But I know making puppets -that- small is not going to happen yet. Though 'Legion' should be fun and I could always modify him and make it more complex later when I know how." He sent a small glare at his master.

Taking the large scroll, he looked over the design. Nodding his head, before he began looking at the sealing array for the puppet. A single eyebrow raised. "You intend for the puppet to control the pieces?"

"Yes Sasori-sama."

"How exactly would you be able to do that hmm?" The condescending tone clear.

" With these three seals being the important part of it's concept." He laid out three separate seals.

Dark eyes looked over them, "chakra absortion, Chakra storage and I'm not sure what this one is? Is that one of your crazy ideas?"

"Yup." he smiled, "if I link these three seals into the main body, I can in theory summon a shadow clone inside of legion prime," he pointed to the bulkier head like portion. "from there I/it can activate the cloning seal for the puppet letting each cloned puppet have a shadow clone inside to control the parts for itself. While I still maintain the full control through the main body." he grinned.

"No." he shook his head, "It is a brilliant idea, but the capacity of chakra needed to be stored, used, and stolen won't be enough. Plus the mental backlash suffered using this idea would make you useless after an attempt at it." He rolled up the scroll along with the copies of the additional seals. "I'll save this for later when you can think of a way to make it work with out killing yourself."

"Ugh.. if the puppet could use jutsu I wouldn't need to figure this out... Why can't they anyway?"

He smiled, "Oh this type of puppetry can't because they lack a chakra network. However there is a branch that can."

The blonds head whipped up, "Why haven't you taught me that yet!"

"I didn't think you were ready for that. It's not what anyone would consider 'good'." He waited but got no sign of not wanting to hear it. "It's called Human Puppetry. Turning your enemies bodies into your own weapons." he raised a hand to continue. "however it is even more time consuming because you must ensure everything is perfect, one screw up and you have ruined any chance of using them. That said only a fallen Shinobi is useful and then you should only use your most powerful enemies."

"But then how do I practice making them if screwing up ruins them?"

Reaching down he stroked the fake fur of Katsu, "I found working on lesser living creatures was enough to begin with." He looked into the deep blue eyes, "Say you had a real fox, it would be more what you wanted than this. As well you could still place all your tricks inside it."

"But what about chakra pathways? And how would they use jutsu?"

"Ah," he pulled a scroll from the shelf. "There are more advanced methods that allow you to preserve them after death. Their knowledge, techniques, even their control and their reserves can be saved." He handed the scroll to the boy, "Everything has chakra, traits, skills and unique abilities. With your own skill, you could use the chakra of a 'fox' puppet to tree climb or water walk. Since your chakra control is better you can utilize it further than they could."

Ideas burned into the minds eye of the blond, "I could even make a version of my seal to give them more chakra... or create unique attacks just for that puppet on top of what it could do..."

Sasori smiled and nodded. 'Yes and every idea you have come up with I have put to use. The master teaches the student, yet the master also learns.' He patted the boy on the shoulder. "I will have a collection of Foxes for you to begin working on shortly. Or you may choose to begin breeding them with your 'seals' so it's natural." He smirked, "after all you should be talented enough as a medic to increase their growth and reproduction rates. Or have you been slacking on your studies?"

"I don't slack.. I've got a whole year left until I graduate. I'll have a Katsu that will be flawless so you can't even pick it apart." he glared.

"I look forward to it." He moved back to his position, "Now fight me again while describing in detail the way to create the Idora Posion, and ever time you make a new step I want you to spin in a circle."


	3. Chapter 3

AN: So I am in love with all the reviews so far.. it's one reason why I'm posting so quickly. Also to note... as I forgot this at the beginning I OWN NOTHING FROM NARUTO save for my own creations :D As for my other two stories.. I will get to them just this idea has been eating at my brain like a Zombie in a mental institution sooo yea..

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><p>The week before his final year at the academy, found Naruto, Shino, Shikamaru and Chouji all training in Naruto's favorite training ground. Though to be fair it was Naruto teaching while the others trained. Shino especially was driven as the control exercises would bring him closer to a refined use of his chakra that would allow for more jutsu rather than fully relying on his Kikai. Shikamaru however was doing so to get another game of shogi. Every loss he took he had to master another form of control or reach a goal Naruto would put up for him.<p>

The last was Chouji, the fa-er rotund boy. He was working in a more physical nature, seeing as Naruto via kabuto had figured out that the more muscle mass the boy had the less damage his clan jutsu would do to his body. Plus they had created a meal plan that consisted of heavy protein, high calorie and an over abundance of vitamins to help him grow much larger.

Naruto's eyes scanned the boys when he felt a shift in the air behind him. "Uzumaki-san. The Hokage wishes to see you." The voice of an ANBU spoke.

Turning to see a Boar mask he nodded. "Sorry guys the old man wants to see me... just keep working for another half hour I might be back in time." He said over his shoulder. Feeling the ANBU grab him the the uncomfortable sensation of being whisked away before his feet planted on the ground.

"Thank you Boar you may wait out side." The familiar rasp of the Hokage instructed. They both watched the ANBU leave. "It's been a while Naruto-kun. Are you that busy that you can't even spare a moment to see an old man?"

Naruto smiled sadly, "Sorry Jiji, I've just been working really hard with Kabuto-nii and hanging out with my friends." he jumped into the chair.

The hokage smiled, "Hanging out or training them?" He laughed lightly, "The fact that it's only control exercises let's you get away with it."

Ne waved it off, "Maybe." He looked at the man he once considered his only security in the village. "So what exactly did you want to see me for?"

The hokage pulled his pipe out and started to light it, though the look of disgust on the young boys face caused him a moment to pause before he continued. "I'm old and it's not like this will kill me yet." taking a few drags from the pipe.

"Yet being the key word Jiji, the chemicals actually cause not only a break down of your lungs. They also pollute your blood and cause an instability in your chakra coils." HE clucked his tongue.

"Be that as it may I'm the adult and leader of the village so I'll do it anyway." he sighed, and relaxed more. "You realize I was quite concerned with your change in behavior. But looking over the past almost four years I have to say I am pleased." 'Please you haven't snapped and killed anyone.' he rested his hand on the stack of paperwork before he continued. "I've decided that I want you to take the exam for being a full medic. Kabuto took his last year, and he tells that you are nearly right behind him in skills and ability."

Smiling the blond nodded, "he told me that too."

"Good, it will be nice to have another medic with your skills and reserves." the hokage gave him a questioning look.

'Might as well come clean a little and see if I can't milk it to my benefit.' Naruto looked at the ground. "Yes I figured it out you know." Looking up through his long bangs. "After I started focusing the name calling, the date of my birthday... the burning my chakra used to cause me... if I'm not the demon I might as well be a damn holding it back with a few cracks in it."

Sarutobi gripped the desk, "How long have you guessed such things?"

"the last two years." he looked at the old man, "studying to be a medic opened my eyes to a lot of things that weren't normal that I did." He stared hard, "Did you know there's a technique that lets you feel the pathways? Strange how I had my own and then another source that seemed to want to burn me to death."

Setting his pipe down, "I'll be honest with you. Yes you are containing the demon known as the Kyubii. It was sealed in you as you guessed on your birthday to save the village from being destroyed. The yondaime gave his life doing so." Getting up he walked to the window and looked out over the village. "Many wanted to kill you that night, and there were a few others that wanted to take you and turn you into a weapon. I... I couldn't allow either of those things to happen. So," he turned to face the boy, "I made it law to never speak of your condition and should anyone do so it was their death." Walking around the desk to stand in front of Naruto, "I wanted to at least let you have a chance at a normal life."

"Well we saw how that turned out." he bit out, "But it's better I guess. I wouldn't have had to learn to cherish what I had and fight and struggle to learn everything I have against everyone conspiring against me."' Or me conspiring to make them like me.'

A faint smile traced the old man lips, "I'm glad you are mature enough to understand this. Now I have to ask have you told anyone?"

'Sasori hahah,' "Kabuto-nii, and Shino. I was planning on letting Shikamaru know as well since I think he's capable of understanding the difference."

He agreed with a nod of his wizened head. "That is one thing out of the way. The other is... the council is unhappy that you are scoring so well."

"They're afraid either the demon is influencing me or I am actually much better than they thought and it scares them that a weapon might be stronger than it's use?" He scoffed. Sarutobi nodded, slightly surprised by the boys insight. "Well until I become a gennin I'm a civilian. I'm free to move from the village. I'm sure any other village would love to have another tool." He paused, "I'm not am I? Because of your law I'm classified as a village secret."

"Yes." he hung his head slightly feeling saddened by the boys response. Where was the kid who cried out he would be Hokage? "It is why they have agreed for your testing as a medic, another tie to hold you to the village."

I'll take the test. But." he looked out the window, " I want on either Shikamaru's team or Shino's."

the hokage thought it over. 'Kakashi wants Naruto or he won't take Sasuke. But having a medic on any team would be a great bonus.' he relit his pipe and took a few puffs. 'I won't mess up the Trio it would be to good a mix. Though having an all male team doesn't work either. Plus Naruto doesn't appear the frontal assault type which is what kakashi wants him for.' "The only way that can work is if you possess a skill set that would match either of theirs or allow for room to work better with each other."

Rubbing his chin, " Shino would be the closest... I mean I'm not a support type at all. I have the reserves and control for genjutsu or ninjutsu. I've been learning another fighting style that works with my build... I'm the only one of my age ground and then some that can avoid ANBU detection, I am a medic which means I'm also good with poisons." 'I'm also a puppeteer.' he added the last silently. "Even if I were to do something different the teams have been set for a while haven't they? I mean as many clan heirs are in my class." He leaned forward, "Ino isn't going to fit in with Shika and Chouji... even though that's the plan. Which means Shino, Hinata and Kiba would be a team Kiba is to blunt and tactless to work well with them... though that would mean that Uchiha, Sakura and I would be the last team..." He shook his head.

"That is the rough plan but how did you figure that out?"

"Please Ino-Shika-Cho has been used three times as a team. The top boy and girl are always on the same team with the lowest student to pass." Here he gave a pointed look to the Hokage, "Which is Kiba and has been for two years now." He rubbed his shoulder, "Shino and Hinata are both natural designed for tracking... which should have been with Kiba because of Akamaru and he would have acted as their shield."

"That still doesn't tell me how you would be better with Shino or Hinata versus Sakura and Sasuke." he took a drag off of his pipe waiting to see if He could give him a strong enough answer.

"Sasuke only looks out for himself, Sakura only looks out for Sasuke at her own expense for one. For two Shino is already aware of my 'issue' Hinata wouldn't be to far behind as much as she looks at me with her eyes active. Plus between the jukken and the kikkai they are the best two to 'put me down' if the demon does somehow get released." 'I don't want to play this card yet, and I can't.' Thinking of his puppets. 'but I can use the Anko card, hehe'. "Plus I've been getting help in my skills from some one else in exchange for helping Her with an old wound."

That caught the old mans ear, "Who is teaching you? And what is she teaching you?"

'Hook and hopefully the line next', "Anko. She's been helping me with my style. Plus some tracking and stealth stuff." He shrugged. "I kinda ran into her a while ago since I spooked some things in the forest. She drug me off to Kabuto-nii, and he noticed to weird mark on her neck. Next thing I know we are trying to fix it and she helps me out as payment."

'The curse seal, but how would Kabuto know of it? Plus how would he be able to fix it neither of the boys know seals.' he sat the pipe carefully on his desk. "Naruto how does Kabuto know about the curse seal?"

"Oh is that what it's called?" Naruto made a thinking face, "Well it's not really the seal thingy. It's more what it does to the body. He found something like it when he was on a mission I guess and study the body.. but since Anko's alive we can see what it actually does all the time." He looked over, "The guess is the seal is the point that started it, but the rest is all like a parasite with some nasty things... we've almost got her's taken care of... we wanted to wait to show you the results until we knew it worked."

'He's paying for training, which isn't illegal.' Though it surprised him that he thought about it. But then he was trading skill for learning something which was a very stubborn and old naruto way of doing things. He sighed, ' Though if that is true then he would be a much better fit away from kakashi. This is not going to be pretty in the end.' "Fair enough, I will speak with both Anko and Kabuto about this situation. IF everything is as you say then I will agree to placing you with Shino. After you take your placement exam." He did smile faintly, "Though I am glad you aren't picking up on Anko's bad habits."

Naruto's attention was still on the window, he quickly pulled a kunai and launched it just barely skimming the window sill. The small yelp of shock that followed had him smirking. "I hope you're actually on the ledge and not using chakra, because that was poisoned."

White hair and a single eye soon peered into the window, " It just grazed my hair." As he climbed through he stumbled and collapsed.

"It was a powder base contact poison," the blond slowly stood up. "Your Hair dislodged it to your scalp where it seeped into the cranial network before traveling through the rest of your body." He moved slowly, while pulling a kunai, "The nice trick is that it force your chakra to lock up in your tenketsu creating a muscular paralysis. I would say anywhere between three hours to a day depending on your control before you can move the poison from your system... Now why were you spying on a private conversation. Hatake, or should I say ANBU Inu?"

Sarutobi watched the entire scene play out, 'Yes Anko is written all over this. But how did he know the ANBU identity?' While kakashi's single eye seemed to widen that his alias had been found out, but that shouldn't be possible especially for this kid, he was an idiot bottom of his class.

"I bet you're wondering how I figured that out?" He chuckled, then licked the kunai. "Three simple things. One Inu and Hatake are the only two people in the village that don't have their right eye visible. Two, only again those two Alternate in appearing at the memorial stone at the exact time everyday. And finally..Your reaction told me it was true." He smirked before he removed the poison and headed to the door. Well removed enough that it would be a few minutes for him to move. "I'll see you Jiji, oh and Hatake thanks for the book." Holding up a small orange book as the door closed behind him.

The two adults looked at each other, before the Hokage started laughing. "We underestimated him. Given who his parents are we shouldn't have..." he wiped a tear from his eye.

Slowly pushing himself up, "How did he do that? I mean not the poison kunai thing.. that has Anko written all over it.. but the medic jutsu he's the dead last.."

"No, he's actually number four in his class. He's been receiving training in the medical skill for almost four years now." he looked sadly at kakashi, "You want him on your team but you don't even bother to look at his files and his reports do you?" Shaking his head, "Obviously you'll have your hands full without having him on your team. Just because he looks like him doesn't mean he is, honestly he takes more after his mother now in everything but looks."

Kakashi nodded, men don't walk like that. The signs were there, but he moved like a trained kunoichi. Subtle, seductive, twisted and beyond all sense of don't piss one off. "What happened... there's no way he could have changed that much from the knucklehead."

"No not on his own, but because someone older showed compassion and offered help yes. He also is aware of his burden. He took that easier than being told the council doesn't approve of his scores being so high."

"His control shouldn't be that good, not with the way the seal works..." It was one thing he did notice that night.

"The reports are he does two hours of control exercises every morning and has been for four years."

"Do you have his file?" Kakashi finally turned to look at him.

"Yes, though I doubt you will get him on your team. Unless you give up teaching Sasuke." he handed over the latest round of files from Iruka.

Kakashi opened and started reading through, his one eye growing larger and visible brow crawling into his hairline. "You let them bring back that test?" he flipped more pages seeing the constant improvement in Naurto. As well the notes mentioning his 'games' with Shikamaru and winning or stale mating the other boy in shogi. "It has to be the demon doing something."

"No, or we would have been alert as he was in the room the entire time." He motioned for a certain figure to come from the walls.

The ANBU walked forward, "It is as Hokage-sama speaks. I felt nothing but the barest levels of Demonic chakra coming from him. It's almost as if either the beast is withdrawing further into the seal or Naruto has his own way of dealing with the creatures Chakra."

Winter soon rolled around for the hidden village, with Naruto being found on what looks like an operating table. "I've burned myself for the last time. I'm glad I only have to deal with that damned test four more months." He growled.

"Lay still and stop moving. If I mess any of this up I might as well just kill you and let the Kyubii free." Sasori snipped. His hands slowly and meticulously tracing lines and symbols with a small brush and ink against Naruto's seal. The last line finished, "There now compress it so I can remove the overlay, not that it matters it's almost burnt out anyway." he grumbled.

His hands flashed down to the moist ink and began pumping his chakra into it. It quickly came to the point where his reserves were shot and the the dregs in the overlay pumped in causing a sharp intake of breath from the pain as he burnt the extra boost. A tight feeling of pain coiled from his seal as he felt it latch into his body and into his chakra. A small flash of blue and green light burst from the seal and

then it faded back into nothing as he passed out.

Instant Sasori was upon him, and quickly banished the old overlays leaving only the modification to the seal. "Kabuto, make sure he is stable. I don't want any complications beyond what we anticipate."

Silver hair moved in a flash and green chakra soon spilled from his hands as he kept track of any changes. Noting as things shifted or altered. He was surprised to see the two radicals working in tandem to heal and infuse with the body.

Seal

Naruto opened his eyes to find himself sitting in front of a row of bars, a small paper resting in the middle with the word Seal on it. **"So my warden finally chooses to show himself."** Orange fire seemed to leap into the bars that didn't move. **"I wish to devour you and free myself."**

"Kyubii, the unwanted one." he walked towards the bars to look at the demon trapped on the other side. "You are the cause of all my problems. I'm just so glad we fixed it before you could have done anything about it." he smirked.

"**I can control you, my chakra runs through your flesh, feeds into your pitiful reserves. I am the reason you live.. I am the reason you will have power!"** It growled.

Naruto actually started laughing, "My flesh yes, but not very much." Shaking his head. "The seal doesn't let your power touch me. You will never be able to control me, never withhold chakra from me or force more upon me to try and take over." He smirked, "You are nothing more than an annoyance to me now."

"**Lies I feel my chakra being drained into your coils, filling you with MY power. I feel it changing your body to be stronger, more agile.. more predatory into a perfect form for me to Control."** The demon bellowed.

"No. It would have been so, but we changed that. What remains of your chakra after my body took it is turned into medical chakra then turned into my chakra. Your power only feeds my bodies addiction, nothing else." he walked up to the point his nose was inches from the bars. "Even if you forced your chakra into me it would do nothing more than disperse and be wasted as it converts and heals my body the rest will simply fade away."

As he spoke, green chains shot from the bars and darkness around the demon to latch into it, creating a collar. The power seeming to feed from and into the demon at the same time. Causing it to hiss, and smoke at the touch. **"What have you done to me, what are you doing Mortal!"**

"Putting a rabid beast in it's place." Turned and walked away. "Did you know the seal is meant for me to fully absorb you? Leaving you nothing and as nothing?" He stepped away as a wall rose up behind him cutting him off from the sounds of the Kyubii.

Real World

Four days passed until Naruto woke up. "Ugh, I feel like I got hit with the Hokage tower." He rubbed his head feeling his hair was much longer, and his own body seemed lighter. 'This can't be good', he thought when he opened his eyes. The mirror so nicely placed next to him revealed the whisker marks nearly faded, but it was the rest of him that seemed to perplex his mind. Thankfully in his own view he remained looking very much a boy, though his now lean figure and long hair could twist that fact. If he had to guess the full change was a few inches taller and his body mass evened out.

"I see you have finally woke up Naruto."

"Sasori-sama." He nodded his head.

"It seems the transition was roughly how we anticipated." The man waved a vague hand in Naruto's direction. "Kabuto and Anko are both waiting to being testing the changes. Myself will only require a clone to begin working with you on your new Katsu."

"Yatta!" He smiled, "I guess I will need new clothes too." he looked at the now baggy and very much to short clothes that he had worn previously.

The red head nodded, "I've taken the liberty of getting you something that will reflect upon your training." he placed a package on the table, "Also I have had multiples purchased and some other articles placed for you so that you don't have to continue wearing the same one over and over again."

He turned and left the boy to begin his own dress.

Once Sasori was gone he jumped out of the bed, teetering slightly from the difference, but quickly opened the package slipping into his new underwear. He pulled out the pants, which were a bit tight but made from a soft leather in black. The shirt wasn't much as it was ninja mesh, and was cut to hang longer over his left hip to just above his knee. A black belt with three utility pouches and a double scroll holster designed to hand over his right side. Last had to be from Anko as it was a modified trench in black, with hidden slip pockets so he could reach his pouches with out taking his hands out of the coat.

He also found black wraps for his ankles and wrists, and combat sandals. Looking in the mirror he didn't know whether to blush or feel proud, though the last detail would be his hair. Which now rested just passed his shoulders, pulling some ninja wire out, he pulled it back into a low and loose ponytail. With a smirk he pulled some of his bangs to frame his face before he walked out of the room to meet with his three teachers, his three friends, his three members of what he considered his family.

Anko let out a low cat call, while kabuto and Sasori nodded their approval. " We have a week left of your winter break. That should give Anko and Kabuto ample time to find your new limitations or any issues that we need to resolve." Sasori spoke, "I will take you clone and continue with you private tutoring."

With a nod he created a clone, with out using the hand seal. Which caused a raised brow from everyone. "What? I use that jutsu everyday and have for three years..." Anko laughed.

"Let's go brat we've got to get you squared out so you can get back to getting the Pedo's bite mark off of me."

To say that week was simple or easy would be the opposite of anything he thought was tough. Limits were found, in everything he did just short of actually breaking him. But out of all of it, he knew his weaknesses in what he had been trained in. His medic nin skills were really the only obvious improvement. Everything else was just mildly different, save for his reflexes and senses. When the Kyubii had told him predator it wasn't lying. He could react quicker, smell, hear and see better, and had a mild sensor ability. Nothing like he originally hoped for, but he could 'tag' signatures marking friend from foe in a decent distance.

His greatest achievement was however Katsu II, seven generations of controlled and enhanced breeding of foxes. With training a seal work to push them had given him four to work with. He would keep three of them for future breeding and obvious need to upgrade. But The strongest of them was a deep gray colored male. The boon to his puppet was his deep knowledge in being a medic, most of the seals were placed while Katsu was still alive to ensure they preserved the body, mind, ability and natural skill. Even most of the original parts and weapons of Katsu I had been placed and installed before he let the animal die. Cruel maybe, but it kept and made it look truly alive compared to the firs one.

Sasori's critical eye gazed over every inch of the puppet. Before he took control and began testing every trick he could with it. Before he let a small smile grace his features. Handing Katsu back, "You were correct there is no 'flaw' in this puppet. The next few 'living' ones you create however must be animals that you are not so intimately familiar with either through their awkward motions or a strong difference to you and to this puppet."

"Why?"

"Because once doesn't mean success always. But also I wish to test your ingenuity." He smirked. "Unless you can simply only copy previous puppets you've made?"

The blond just sent him an icy glare, "Fine Sasori-sama You wish for innovative puppets... Very well." The clone dispelled, leaving Sasori to actually laugh.

"I'll mark him as a master when he passes the gennin exam." He spoke to no one but the racks of puppets filling his home.

Four months breezed by for most everyone else, save Naruto. It seemed his three 'masters' had decided to up his training. Rounded out he was easily Chunnin, yet he still lacked in the area of Jutsu, weapons, genjutsu. He effectively was a glorified rookie. His skills as a medic were recorded, and well earned. Yet his scores in the academy placed him in the upper middle of his class. The freshly worked mark into his chest however was his pride above anything else. Sasori had tattooed the emblem of Master into his skin.

Though maybe the suffocating breast of Anko had been the highlight of the last four months, but then that happened often enough to just be a treat. They had finally come up with the way to destroy the seal and it's counterparts. The A-rank pay and mission statement for both Him and Kabuto however was nice. Not even a Gennin and already a High ranked mission.

But now he was sitting with the rest of the class after finishing their exams, the black band resting against his forehead brought a small smile to his face. "Now, for those of you that passed today. Congratulations." Iruka smiled to them all. "You will need to report here tomorrow at noon for your team assignments. Dismissed."

Hokage Tower

The Hokage sat at his desk, with folders stacked each being that of the passed students. The prospective Jounin who would be taking teams sat before him while Iruka sat to the side as the most knowledgeable about the students to advise the decisions. "Now before we begin I have a few things to say first." Sarutobi began. "As kakashi is the only one able Sasuke will be on his team. However there is one other matter. Shino Aburame and Naruto Uzumaki are to be teamed together." He hid his smirk. As much as he disliked it, he was a man of his word. Also he had it signed by the council mixed among other things they didn't notice. "You may take the time to look through their files, and question Iruka if you so choose."

Files were passed around, and few words were spoken among them for some time. As files were read or exchanged. Sarutobi noticed the unhappy looks of three of the Jounin. Kakashi was easy for obvious reasons, 'he can't get Naruto.' Kurenai was simple to take a guess at, with her specialty. 'Tracking team, she was probably hoping to get Aburame, Inuzuka, and Hyuga.' His aged eyes fell onto his son next. 'I really can't figure that one out. He has been after the Nara boy since his first year in the academy.'

Kakashi's thoughts were rather simple, 'Damn him... Icha Icha thief...'

Kurenai's were fairly more complex, ' ugh damn that cyclops and his given team top boy and girl and the dead last. Why did Kiba have to be such an Idiot.' Flicking pages, 'Why? It's the best set up for tracking why did he have to go and screw me over like that my first time out.'

Asuma on the other hand, 'Nara or Uzumaki?' the question repeated over and over. 'Ino-Shika-Cho or Aburame,Uzumaki and the Hyuga... Nai-chan might kill me if I take that one.. but I could get a more varied team... and the team work needed would make the trio a good first team for her...' he scribbled his selection on the paper, having Uzumaki as his first choice. Which meant the Aburame was his second. The third member he left blank as long as it isn't the pink haired one I'll be fine.

The others were soon placing their requests on the desk, leaving the Hokage to look them over.

Kakashi -Uchiha, Uzumaki, Aburame

Kurenai- Hyuga, Aburame, Uzumaki

Asuma- Uzumaki, Aburame

He titled his head. 'This is definitely not what I was expecting. Then he noted the note at the bottom of Asuma's form. _Ino-Shika-Cho would be a good first team for Kurenai. The teamwork and methods are well in place but would still allow her to utilize their individual skills to make a tracking team with an assault secondary._

The hokage chuckled slightly as he would have to agree with the assessment. Kakashi's request was flat out. The placement of his team would be tradition. Asuma's request was the most reasonable seeing as he gave up a good team for a wild card that came from no where. "After having reviewed your requests, and previous meetings with Iruka I cannot agree with your thoughts." He frowned, "Kakashi I'm sorry but tradition must be kept. Your request is denied. Kurenai your request thought a good potential concept is to volatile for a first team." he filled out his forms and stamped them passing them out. "Asuma your team will be Uzumaki, Aburame and Hyuga. Kurenai Ino-Shika-Cho combination is reliable but versatile enough to handle." Raising his hand to stop the comments he knew were coming, "This is final. You will collect your teams tomorrow and I expect your test results by no later than Saturday. Dismissed."


	4. Chapter 4

AN: Thank you for the reviews so far. Some of the points made or questions asked will be answered. Though directly is a whole other concept haha. XD I will however say this. As much as I actually enjoy 'Slash' the offered male interests are not viable... there will be Pairing(s) with Naruto. Also I know I made him more feminine but given who his three teachers are male machismo wasn't in the cards. Anko will 'teach' seduction... and yes I may have a moment or two where he does play as a woman but it's not his cup of tea solely for the mission. But please continue questions and reviews that I love so much :D

Friday came quickly for the Blond. There were a few concerns he had now that he would be doing actual missions and team training. But it seemed Sasori had long ago thought of the answer. He would send clones as usual though it would be to only one of them rotating weeks. Now however, he slipped Katsu's scroll into his hip pouch and looked at the remodeled Naru. 'It's hard to believe I looked like that three years ago.' He smiled fondly ever grateful for his saviors.

He placed his hitae around his neck as a choker with the black just matching into the outfit that had taken him time to love. Walking out the door he stroked the feathered head of his last puppet. The tawny colored Falcon he ended up naming Aero. The other was actually a set of snakes he recovered they were his simplest puppets but he would launch them from his sleeves like Anko would do with that 'shudders' jutsu of hers. Though Maru and Taru were poisoned like all his toys they were designed to activate gravity seals once they bit or constricted their targets. They were sealed on special bands he wore on his forearms.

His thoughts drifted from his puppets to who his team would be, and the silent vow that if he didn't get what he wanted he was sure he could send his babies after a few of the council. After all would would suspect that? He did take his seat with his group of friends, "Hey guys." he smiled in greeting to them. Pulling a thermos and a few cups he poured them a mixture of coffee and chocolate. "So who do you think will get stuck with the Uchiha-uke?"

Shikamaru took a sip savoring the secret caffeine, "Naruto... you're troublesome." he sighed, "We all know you either already are aware of the teams or you have pretty much some how twisted everything to get what you want."

Chouji nodded as he blew the steam from his drink, "Seriously... you managed to get me to gain almost forty pounds of muscle and still kept a high BMI. And Shika here..." He shook his head, "well you actually managed to break his lazy streak... somehow."

Shino let a small snicker escape him before he sipped feeling his hive jitter slightly from the extra sugar. "That would be giving Shikamaru an addiction to caffeine."

"I did no such thing. I merely helped him learn to appreciate a certain beverage." The blond smirked. Causing the small group of boys to laugh. "Shino do you think you could keep a watch out. I don't want to be over heard.." Giving him a meaningful look.

"Of course, I am pleased you have decided they are trustworthy." He set his eyes, well his sunglasses onto the other two boys, "If you break his trust... I will ensure that you will never survive my kikkai." A few of them flying out and away as he spoke.

Naturally this took all the attention to Naruto as both Shikamaru and Chouji leaned forward. "I know both of you are pretty much aware that mostly everyone in this village hates me." he began before he went into the 'tale' of him being a jinkurichi and that he wasn't officially told until this year. Even offering how he handles the 'issue'.

"That's honestly one of the stupidest things I think this village has done." Shika said with a frown, 'I mean honestly they should have pampered you and kept you as happy as hell since you could pretty much have just snapped and let the fuzz bucket out." Chouji nodding along.

Hidden stress seemed to fade visibly from the blond, "That means a lot to me you guys, though I don't think 'it' will be any issue since everything I've been doing has been partly to make it leave me alone and just stay nice and tucked away."

"Others are coming." Shino spoke quietly as his Kikkai had returned to deliver the message. It wasn't much after that moment when the rest of the students filed into the room with Iruka appearing and closing the doors.

"You all decided to come that's good now onto your teams and your new Sensei." he pulled the list from his pocket. "Team Seven under Hatake Kakashi will be Uchiha Sasuke, Haruno Sakura and Inuzuka Kiba." Flipping the page, "Team Eight will be Yamanaka Ino, Nara Shikamaru, and Akamichi Chouji with Yuhi Kurenai. Teams Nine and Ten are still active so Team Eleven will be Uzumaki Naruto, Aburame Shino and Hyuga Hinata under Sarutobi Asuma" He continued for a few more teams that were in the other classes as a just so you know thing.

Team eight was the first to be collected, but not before certain looks were shared. The faint hint of smoke caught Naruto's nose, " I hope your Kikkai don't mind smokers Shino." His blue eyes landed on his other teammate. He didn't really know what to think of her, as she was timid and quiet. Not the type to be a ninja in his mind after all every female ninja he knew wasn't soft spoke or blushing every time he looked at them. "Hinata-san are you feeling well?" He asked already knowing full well that it wasn't a fevered blush but more of a chemical reaction to stimuli. Or rather her reaction to him.

The blush darkened, "Y-yes Na-naruto-kun."

'She needs time with Anko-nee, ' he thought before standing up which Shino followed his moves, "He's almost here might as well meet him at the door." Leading his team to the door just as it opened.

"Team Eleven..." The man stopped speaking seeing them only inches from him. "Well follow me." he turned leading his team outside and into a nearby training ground. "I take it you three know each other fairly well. So this is actually for me to better know you." He pulled a cigarette from his pocket only to find it broken in his hand, Naruto's own going back into his pocket. "I would like you to list your hobbies, likes and dislikes." Sending a look at the blond , "You first."

With a slight bob of his head, "Okay I-want-caner-Sensei." his glare looking at the offending cigarette that was again being pulled out. "I like studying biology and physiology. Both are hobbies and likes. I enjoy training and working with Nii-san and Nee-chan." 'and Sasori-sama,' he added silently, "and my friends. I dislike tardiness, laziness, and people who refuse to take care of their health."

"You're next." he waved at Shino.

"Arthropology and training with Naruto-taicho." Shino stated, " My friendships and reading fiction, are my main interests. As for dislikes I will agree with Naruto only adding those who disrespect insects because they find them disgusting rather than understanding the relationship they share with everything."

"And now our ladies turn."

A small 'eep' before she began, "My hobbies are flower pressing and making healing balms. I li-like..." She fell silent but the blush told them all what they seemed to already know. "I dislike the separation in my clan, and people who are mean for no reason."

Asuma eyed the three students, he was surprised to hear Shino added taicho to Naruto's name but seeing how they were standing they must have been friends for a long time not to mention He was poitning out that Naruto was the superior in their team. Naruto was hidding something but he couldn't even begin to guess what it was though his stance showed something so similar he would probably stab himself once he figured it out. The heiress was to timid he would have to try and break that out of her, but he knew Nai-chan would destroy him if he hurt the girl. With a shake of his head, "You three have passed the academy but there is still one more test to make it official. From what your files say you would make a decent tracking team. However that isn't my area of expertise, Infiltration, Interrogation, and light to medium combat will be the aims of this team."

Naruto looked to his two team members as he listened to the points, "We are more like a Hunter Squad Sensei." He Looked the man in the eyes to judge his reaction. "We all have different abilities for tracking, causing minimal damage but high pain threshold, as well we all have mid to high chakra control." he paused and tilted his head for a moment, "Outside of Clan techniques or my medical skills we are all lacking in nin and genjtsu and weapons skills."

"Taichou is correct, as of right now we are all close combat fighters with or tracking support types." Shino added with a nodded. Hinata blushed but nodded also seeing as she agreed.

Asuma raised a brow in mild surprise but was pleased with their assessment of themselves. "I aggree which if you pass my test I will help you in those areas. However I would like to know why you refer to Naruto as taichou?"

Shino looked to Naruto who gave him a small nod. "That would factor many things, one is a strong level of trust between us. As well he has been helping me with my control and handling the increase of my available reserves. As well he has shown interest and respect for my clans ways that not many who are on the outside hive."

'That explains a bit, but I'm still curious why they had to be teamed together though it still doesn't make much sense.' His eyes moved between the three students again before the combination of Jukken and the Kikkai ability to block and drain chakra tied with Naruto being a Jinkurichi. 'Maybe Shino having been around the boy long enough his bugs adapted to handle the infused chakra...' "I see thank you, now for your test. There is more to teamwork than just being able to work well together it's knowing your comrades. Their strenghts and weaknesses as well as who they truly are." He pulled three sheets of paper from his pocket. "This is the first portion, Hinata will answer about Naruto, Shino will answer about Hinata and Naruto you will answer about Shino."

The three took the tests and read over the questions, Each finished relatively quickly. Before turning them into the person they were about to grade them. Seeing as it was about each other Asuma wasn't going to be fully aware of the answers. Collecting them he read over them seeing that they were actually rather intimately answered questions. "The second part I would like you to answer out loud one way that would effectively incapacitate your other two team members." he looked at Hinata.

"Umma..." She worried on her lip. "I don't have the skills to take out either Shino-san or Naruto-kun." She looked down at the ground.

Shino looked between the two of them, "Using my kikkai to drain Hinata-san would be effective, however I have no recourse to disabling Naruto-taichou effectively."

"A combination of an airborne paralytic and a chakra corrosion poison would effectively remove Shino, as for Hinata-san." He paused and seemed to look her over, "A compressed Chakra Flash tag or any form or poison that will disrupt chakra."

"Hinata why wouldn't you be able to disable naruto?" he was curious about that, "And why would a Flash tag be all you needed?"

The girl blushed furiously, while Naruto answered for both of them. " I would assume it's because as a medic I can instantly reopen my own tenketsu making her clan taijutsu rather weak against me. As for the flash tag the Byuakugan relies of it's ability to see chakra flow in very fine detail. A strong burst such as a flash tag would be like looking dead into a camera flash only many times more painful."

Asuma watched the girl nod to both answers, "Shino I believe your reasoning would be because of naruto's large reserves?"

He shook his head, "No, it is the fact that his control is so high that upon noticing the drain he will flood his body with Chakra to gorge my Kikkai. As well he traditionally uses poisons that by the time I am set to attack I have already been affected."

Turning to look at his blond student, "You don't fight very fair do you?"

"Fair is a thing you attend for fun. There is nothing fair in life, so why should there be in a fight?" He shrugged, "Besides with enough exposure to my poisons his Kikkai will develop a tolerance and be more effective against it."

"Fine, now how would you take me down in a fight?" He lowered himself into his fighting stance.

Naruto turned to look at Shino who gave him a slight nod, which he returned before he stepped over to Hinata. " Take strikes at his limbs, Shino will give you support while I will be attacking form behind." he whispered to her before he took off with a jump into the trees.

She nodded and activated her doujutsu with a hand seal, 'for Naruto-kun,' She took off with a purpose her fingers aiming for strikes along his arms and legs, she didn't know why but she would do it for him.

Shino stood and observed the attacks for a moment, before he released his kikkai low along the grass. After multiple fights with Naruto, he had learned to keep them from being seen in hopes of them actually getting in a hit. He just hoped whatever Naruto was planning would be enough to get them passed.

Scanning the area he watched as Hinata followed through with the plan, and he could sense Shino's chakra spreading which meant his kikkai were on the move. Coming like a pincer around Hinata to get Asuma from either side. Which left the back wide open for him. 'He's favoring his left side,' He noticed the small hitch. He smirked. Launching himself from the tree he took off in full run, kunai slipping down into his hand, making a wide attack to the right side.

Asuma blocked the finger jabs enough to avoid any of his chakra being cut off. Though his concern was for Shino who seemed to just be standing there, and where was... The brief flicker of motion from his right caused him to lean out and block the wide attack catching naruto's hand.

His smirk grew, as he flexed and twisted his entire body using his momentum and the grip as leverage to get a small nick into Asuma's left shoulder. As he felt himself get thrown. Landing on his feet a few yards away he stood and watched, before making eye contact with Shino.

Blue eyes pierced him before he nodded, sending his Kikkai up from the ground swarming both sides.

Hinata saw them and the strange flare in is chakra on his left. Aiming her strikes all to that side, before she jumped back at the last second as the swarms ran in.

Everything was moving smoothly, until he felt the chakra shift around their Sensei and the kikkai were blown back by a gust of wind. 'damn it jutsu.' small blades of chakra grew from his fingers in a sickly green color before he launched into the fight.

Asuma felt him right before he started to connect reaching up to block he saw the smirk to late, as his arm went numb and he lest any flexibility in his wrist. Then two pokes to his right causing his chakra to shift. He was going to call the fight when he felt a full fist connect with his hip, Shino had switched with a portion of his kikkai landing a solid punch. 'Something is wrong, they shouldn't be able to get this lucky I'm faster and stronger than they are... how are they getting hits in on me?'

"Back," Naruto called out causing the other two to jump back effectively surrounding their Sensei, who noted the smirk on Naruto's face and the please arm fold of Shino's. Hinata seemed to understand something but still felt unsure.

"Why did you call of the attack?" Asuma said as he straightened himself up. "I wasn't defeated, nor am I dead."

"You could be." Naruto said as he picked up the kunai he used to nick the jounin's shoulder. "Your reaction times have slowed down, your breathing is harder than it should be. You also have no use of your right hand, and your chakra was shut off in the left arm. Jutsu are out of the question now, weapons wouldn't be effective. Plus."

"My strike to your hip," He revealed his hands holding a seal, "was to place an explosive tag." Shino simply nodded his head down.

The mans eyes fell to his hip to see the faint glow of a seal stuck to his hip just below where he was punched. "I admit surrender, you passed." he smiled.

Naruto nodded, as he moved forward his hands already glowing green. "Now I'll fix your arms and remove the poison." he said with a smile as he set to work fixing their little attacks.

"Poison when?"

"When you caught my arm and I failed to stab you in your shoulder. I was trying to nick you enough for the poison to enter your system." Naruto's voice was calm and rather eerie as he was in medic mode. "Also your left side was showing a hitch and you favored it to much."

"Why only attack my arms and legs?" He looked at Hinata.

"Na-Naruto-kun told me too." She blushed.

Turing his head to the blond once more, "Care to explain that too?"

"Not really I need to focus, Shino.. would you explain that and your tactics?" he continued to repair the tendon he severed.

The dark haired boy nodded, "Going for your limbs with her style would prevent use of Jutsu and weapons as well as escape should it have been successful." Walking forward as his Kikkai were re-entering his coat. "Also killing wasn't a mission parameter if we are to interrogate you. As for my tactics I am still learning taijutsu and thus have to rely on my kikkai. Also having learned the hard way to have them always attack from bellow because Naruto would repeatedly remove them from the equation upon sight. It makes me appear weak and not wanting to fight, allowing for my substitution attack with that tag."

He nodded it was a sound reasoning, "But why send your female teammate on the offensive alone?"

Naruto scoffed as he finished one task and began neutralizing the mild poison. "Upon earning that headband gender doesn't matter. She is a shinobi. Her taijutsu style is the most offensive one out of the three of us." He shook his head, "Seeing her as a girl and not a trained ninja is not in her best interest or ours."

"But, that's so.." Asuma started.

"If you finish that with unfair, or ungentlemanly..." Naruto left hanging, "Yes she may be a female However that does not make her weaker or any different from Shino or myself when it comes to being a Shinobi treating her as such shows that you have no regard for her skills and only see her as the cute, sweet and innocent young woman. Not the trained for most of our lives living weapons." he brushed off his hands as he got up and walked over towards Hinata. "You did good, and managed to seal three tenketsu against a Jounin." He smiled, as Shino joined him beside her.

Asuma really took the time to look at them. Naruto and Hinata were both slender and if he had to say it Naruto upon first glance looked just as much a girl as she did. Then the outfit hit him full in the face... "Anko."

Naruto smirked, "You know my Nee-chan?" As he pulled a stick of Dango from his coat, looking around quickly before he ate it.

'This is sooo not good,' Asuma thought. "Yes I do..." he picked himself up feeling good as new, actually better his shoulder didn't ache. His eyes falling on Naruto who only smiled at him with a nod as if he knew what he was thinking. " Thank you. Now we will meet here every day except Sundays and Wednesdays at Eight a.m. We will work on getting your other skills rounded out. At noon we will break for lunch for two hours. Then we will take d-ranked missions until seven p.m." he smiled I'm going to work them into the ground. "I'll see you all in the morning." With that he left in a swirl of leaves.

"So will we continue meeting at five then Naruto?" Shino asked.

"Yea, Hinata you're welcome to come too." He added. "If we can Shika and Chouji should come too..." he smiled, "I'll send them a message later to see if they can."

"Ano.. what do you do that early?" Hinata was curious now.

"We work on Chakra control and building exercises, and do light sparing and physical training." He shrugged. "Even breakfast since that's part of Chouji's work out we all share in." He laughed with a Shino on that one. "We meet normally at the Thirty Eight grounds just depends on where they have to be and when that might cause ups to move to one closer or just meet at each others." he shrugged.

"O-okay I will just come here, then.. could one of you make sure I get to the right one?" She blushed.

"Yea but you know you could always try tracking us and suprise attacking us." he winked.

Hinata felt her face warm up before she fainted.

"Shino...is she?"

"Yes I believe so."

"Damn."

"Exactly."

-Hokage's Office-

Hiruzen smiled as he sat there reading over the reports from all but one of his Jounin. Though Kakashi was doing his test on Saturday, which was the deadline he had set. "It's good that you have passed them but now I would like your opinions of your teams so far."

Kurenai frowned, "Their skills are well matched, and Chouji and Shikamaru are exceptionally gifted with their clan techniques. However I feel it is concerning that Shika actually punched Ino for getting mouthy. That is no way to treat a girl Hokage-sama."

Asuma frowned, " Those two boys train with Naruto and Shino correct?"

She nodded, "Yes they admitted so much as he was the one to help with their control and getting a Chouji on a properly controlled diet for his needed growth. Why?"

"My team I have to say works well together. Shino and Naruto have excellent communication. Hinata will do whatever naruto asks it seems. Since he ordered her to attack me head on in Taijutsu while Shino provided support and he prepared a route and counter attack to my Experience." He sighed, before relaying the entire conversation and the spar before it.

"Anko trained him?" Kurenai was floored. That her friend would train anyone. "Why?" Asuma shrugged in response.

The hokage however cleared his throat. "I know the answer to that one and I must say I am proud of Naruto for passing on those views of female Shinobi." He pulled a small file from his desk, "Over a year ago Naruto and his medic trainer Kabuto were aware of the Curse seal as Kabuto had encoutered it on a mission. They worked on a way to destroy it."

"But even Jiraiya-sama couldn't and he is a Fuijutsu master." Kurenai blurted out.

"Yes that's what I told the boys as well. However They did remove it from her. The best wat to explain it is that the Seal was just the shell on the seed." He showed them both the results. "It protects the 'parasite' until it's securely in place and mature enough to continue it's own growth."

"When did they do this?"

"Shortly before winter break." He rubbed his chin, "It was the week she had the 'flu'. However this is a classfied secret. Only The boys, Anko, myself and now you two are aware of it." An ANBU arrived and whispered something to him before leaving. The hokage laughed shortly, "It seems you two are starting at Eight in the morning?"

"Yes I was giving my team Mondays and Thursdays off," Kurenai answered.

"Same, but for Sundays and Wednesdays."

"You're loosing three hours to Naruto then." He smirked, "He and his friends meet up every morning at five for breakfast and then training. Have been for over a year now. It also seems that the girls were invited along if they wished."

"What would the boy teach them that they would do that?" She asked.

Asuma laughed, "Besides speed training, Dietary advice, Ungodly Chakra control, and strategy?" Asuma rubbed his head, "besides Fighting with Anko's skills he applies them with medics attention to detail. The fact that he will point out their flaws and exploit them continuously until they fix them." He smiled, "He also managed to fix my shoulder."

"I thought the hospital said it would always catch?"

"They did but he still fixed it."He rolled his arm all the way around to prove it.

The hokage sighed, "The council has ordered that you are not to teach naruto any jutsu above D-rank." he passed him the form, "they still fear he is a danger to the village. I have kept Anko's paid tuition from them however there isn't much I can do about this." He did however let a finer point slip. " The Aburame, Akamichi and Nara clans however voted against this. The boys have shared Naruto's ideas for them with their parents." As he spoke he reached for his pipe only to find a note.

_Jiji, _

_As a medic I cannot allow you to continue this habbit._

_Asuma-Sensei will learn this in a far harsher way. _

_U. N._

"Make stealth and infiltration Naruto's main skill..." He wasn't happy but at the same time he was touched by the genuine care from the boy.

The two jounin looked at him to see him reading a note, "Why?" they both asked.

"He stole my pipe...from my office." He shook his head then smirked, "Asuma...did Naruto spend anytime close to you?"

"Yes why?"

Chuckling, "I doubt you have an cigarettes on you then." he then relayed how last year he had stolen Kakashi's copy of Icha Icha with out either of them seeing him do it.

"Wait.. that was after Anko started teaching him right?" Getting a nod, "That would explain her extremely good mood for a week... talking about some brat 'dealing a leathal blow to a cyclops'."

Later that night, Naruto was finishing his scan of Anko. "Everything is still good the last bit of the treatment has left your system." He smiled wickedly.

"Out with it Brat.. I know that look." She glared at him playfully.

"Oh just that because of what the Seal did to you removing it did have some added advantages.. we just didn't tell you because they were hypothetical." he jumped back as a kunai landed where he was.

"Tell Me Now."

Holding his hands up in surrender. "Okay.. geez. We told you your body would have to fight it off with the help of the treatment. That's because the Treatment was designed to steal certain aspects and keep them attached to your body. Making it natural to your system. Which ruined it's grip on you since you already had that attribute it couldn't force it in to you because the space was already taken." He explained with a soft smile. "You speed and stamina are going to be the most noticeable. However your Chakra reserves are much higher now that it's not leaching and converting your chakra for it's own power source."

"I'm faster and can last longer eh?" She purred.

He gulped, "Yea..There was only one teenie tiny thing we didn't think of." he slowly started backing away. "The seal.. it was suppose to make you similar to Orochimaru on a physiological level."

"And." She growled out.

"You may find yourself with certain urges and desires for young boys." He stuck his tongue out and winked running out the door.

Her jaw dropped for a moment before she started laughing hysterically.

-Five Months-

"I swear to Kami if we do one more D-ranked mission..." Naruto fumed.

His close friends plus Ino and Hinata witnessed his fuming. Before Shino spoke out, "taichou...perhaps this is retaliation for your medical advice?"

Naruto spun around, and glared before his face became pensive. "Maybe..." he sighed, "Fine.. I'll stop doing it."

"Doing what?" Ino spoke up. It had taken her a while to come around but once she actually paid attention to what they were doing she felt impressed and incredibly worthless. That was about two months into getting up at five in the morning. But that was also the day that Naruto had given her a set of control exercises, a Diet that would let her 'keep her girlish figure' while actually making her healthy and fit.

"I've been making sure Asuma and Jiji aren't able to smoke..."

"He means that he's constantly stealing their cigarettes and the hokages pipe." Shikamaru intoned from his meditative position.

She wanted to lash out at him, but she couldn't find it in herself to. It was the right thing to do even if it wasn't 'right'. Letting out a sigh, "So what have you guys been learning?"

"They've been learning Jutsu... I've been allowed to play with pointy objects." Naruto iterated.

"What the hell you're the best guy on their team..." Ino looked around seeing nods, but at the same time they all seemed to know something she didn't. "There's a reason isn't there..." She probed.

Everyone didn't move, except Naruto as he looked at each one of them in the eye looking for something and finding it. "You've earned enough of my trust Ino..." he then told her what was locked, chained and imprisoned inside him.

She blinked, and looked at everyone seeing that this was what they had kept from her. She wanted to be mad but this was some seriously deep stuff. Letting her eyes drift to Naruto, ,she looked at him trying to see any sign that he was a Demon or that there was even on inside him. 'Sure he's viscious when sparring and his teaching.. but he cares, he makes sure we are healed up, fed, and working towards being our best... that's not a demon.' "They're stupid...unless the demon is nothing but an oversized Mother Hen and their afraid of being spanked."

Another wave of stress lifted from him, and he noticed from everyone in the group with Ino's words. With a sigh he unnoticed twitched a pinky which summoned Aero from a near by tree. The hawk glided down to land on his arm. He held out a small scroll which it grabbed and flew off.

"When did you get a messenger hawk?"

Naruto hid his smirk, "Middle of last year, it's no big deal Aero is just going to take Jiji his pipe collection back."

/Flash to Hokage/

Sarutobi was twitchy and irritable, five months with out any smoking. He was not the soft and kind Hokage most of the people knew him as. His temper and patience, or rather lack there of, had the council jumping when he would make demands. But now his hand was twitching wanting to reach for the drawer but knowing with out a doubt his latest pipe was missing.

The Hawk swooped into the window to land on the desk, lifting it's talon to reveal the small scroll.

Eying it carefully he took it.

_Jiji,_

_I'll make a trade... the contents of this scroll for something more than d-ranked missions._

_U.N._

"What could..." he carefully unsealed the rest of the scroll to find two large storage seals. After checking them for traps he released them only to be swamped with a mountain of pipes and pouches of tobacco. He started to want to dance until he caught sight of something Orange.. or rather several somethings. There were five different edditions of Icha Icha.. all collectors and signed. "Pipes, tobacco, and Kakashi's prized Collection...Council be damned.. you're getting some jutsu out of this."

Aero bobbed it's head before it flew away back to Naruto.

/Flash to Naruto./

The blond just started smiling from ear to ear, causing Hinata to blush. "I knew bribing the Old man was sooo going to be worth it."

Everyone turned to look at him, Though Shino noticed the bird come back and a while later one of his kikkai returned. "Taichou.."

Turning to look at Shino he noticed the small look and the kikkai on his figner tip. 'Well it's not like I wasn't planning on telling him...' "At lunch."

-With Clone and Sasori-

"Naruto I'm telling you again Legion is a brilliant concept, but the mechanics in practices would either knock you unconcious, destroy your reserves quickly or brilliantly backfire in you face." Sasori once again lectured reaching for the scroll.

Blond hair shook, "If I was planning on using the Shadow clone seal then yea I'll agree with you but I'm not.. Just look at it PLEASE." He tried to look cute and innocent. "I've altered the original design, scrapped the old arrays and worked in some new ideas.. just please look."

"Fine.. but if I still say no."

"I'll keep working on it until you say it's safe." He repeated words back that he had heard thousands of times.

Unrolling the scroll he would admit he was impressed with the skill it took to design something like this. "How many puppets can you control at once?"

"Fifty... for now."

Nodding his head he continued to look at the design. " I can tell you made quite a few changes in Legion's design...the amount of time you will spend placing seals and just crafting the parts however... Is it worth it?"

"Yes even if I never use it but one time..." He smiled, "It would be a work of true Art."

Running his fingers along the different lines of the blueprint, and reading the various materials listed and the sixteen different arrays let alone the thirty-three other seals that would be repeatedly used and placed all over this.. Puppet. " You know my rules... this is going to be expensive and exacting."

He rolled up the scroll, "Make me a very simple version just so it can move and fight, if you can control that then I will consider letting you build the full scale." 'And again you have given me the greatest Ideas...'

"Making one from wood is going to suck... can I do it with a weak human?"

Tapping his finger on his lips, " No, but if you can do it with an Animal... I will find you a human to use for it."

"I'm glad I kept those foxes...Just.. I'm going to need the 'chassis' for the real thing alive first..."

"I know your methods, and though they don't work for me you truly mesh your knowledge well." Which wasn't a lie but after seeing the finished results of Live augmentation prior to Puppetizing he couldn't argue it. Technically it was what he did to himself, but far cruder. 'Once Naruto gets to a point with Humans I may have him create me a new body, this one is getting a bit worn out.'


	5. Chapter 5

AN: Thank you for the reviews ! *hands out cookies* Now as i mentioned before I'm not sure about romance but I will dip here and there into something risque for all sides of my readers meaning Slash and Het. It may not be full on Hardcore OMG Sex.. come one their 11 maybe much later I might make it something more than innocent crushes and maybe some not so innocent moments... This is also a warning that there will be some BOY/BOY moments as well as some BOY/GIRL.

It was noon, Naruto had been feeling awkward about telling Shino about his puppets. He truthfully couldn't figure out why. Other than it was a style only found in Suna, and it's a very rare profession. Oh and his master is an S-Class missing nin hidding in Konoha for the last four years. Nope nothing at all to worry about.

The two boys headed off into the woods, until Naurto couldn't sense anyone and neither could Shino. "You truly wish this to either be kept a secret, or it's something that you shouldn't have been doing and now it is to late to get out of it."

The blond looked at his friend, "It's...maybe a bit of both." He ran a hand through his hair tugging the few tangles out of it on his way. "I … hell I don't even know where to begin."

"The beginning might be good?"

"You're right."He settled himself down on the ground. "On my sixth birthday..." he began explaining. Leaving certain things out, primarily how they became friends. As it might have been an order or suggestion but it was one he would take again and again since that day. He spoke lightly of the depth of his skills thought he did have to explain about Aero, having once been a living bird that he turned into a puppet.

Shino sat quietly for a time. The fact that his 'best friend' had managed to hide such an ability was quite disturbing. Yet he could see how growing up as he did would have caused him to not want to share the fact that anyone had started to care about him. Logically it all made sense. It was concise and fit very closely into how Naruto was. "When were you planning on revealing your skill with these Puppets?"

Closing his eyes, "Not until I truly had too. Secret weapons should be secrets. And considering how and from who I learned them might cause a very large issue." He pulled out a copy of the Bingo book and handed it to Shino already open to Sasori-sama's page.

"You're learning from and Harboring an S-Class ninja.. and have been doing it for over for years." It wasn't a question, and it wasn't quite a statement more a Shino version of an exclamation.

Letting out a long breath, 'It's going better than I planned.' "I really didn't know that," point to the book, " until about three months ago." Running his hands over his face from being mentally exhausted. "All he does is stay in his shop, work on his puppets and plot revenge."

"Revenge on whom?"

"As far as I remember two.. well one person and a group." Looking directly at Shino, "The person is Orochimaru... that's how he ended up here. The snake-pervert almost killed him in fight, he came here to heal and rebuild in secret.. that was the day he had found me." Bitting his lip for a moment, "The group.. that's really the reason why I haven't sold him out or anything regardless of my loyalties to him and to this village. The group is after me.. well me and eight other people just like me."

"Why you're just..." His words stuck in his mouth.

"A person that happesn to be holding one of the most destructive forces on the planet? Yea... he's been training me to fight against them in small ways. Trying to screw up their massive plans."

"Which consist of?"

"Of them capturing my kind, ripping the demons out of them. Which kills us by the way, then trapping them in so freaky statue that was used to hold them before the hidden villages were founded. Then using that power to 'Bring Peace' by causing a single devastating attack in hopes it would make us so afraid to fight that we wouldn't." He gushed, he was just tired of keeping everything a secret from his friend. "Look you don't have to believe him.. but believe me... I trust him not to screw over the village, he may have been twisted and evil but anyone could be if pushed the wrong way. There has to be a chance at redemption from mistakes right?"

"Right, I'm...It all seems so illogical yet the fact that there truly is a demon sealed inside of you is just as far fetched." For the first time, Shino removed his glasses his blood red eyes looked into his friends blue ones. " I do trust you Naruto. In my clan there are only two ways to show that level of trust." He stood up. "We cover ourselves because of the changes our hive makes to our bodies. We only reveal the extend to our clan and to those we hold just as close." His jacket opened as he dropped it before he pulled off his shirt followed by the rest of his clothing.

Naruto sat stock still, unsure of what to do about this but it was really an honor even if it was in a strange way. He could see the pale skin, and the rippling places where the Kikkai were moving. So far it didn't look anything wrong. It actually look normal or even beautiful in it's own way of balance and symbiosis. He didn't remember standing up, or walking, but his hands soon found themselves placed lightly against the pale skin, feeling the motions and the actual differences in the skin. It was smooth as marble, yet he could feel ribbed places along the tunnels through his body. Charka filled his hands as he scanned Shino's body. Fighting the urge to 'fix' it, rather he began to commit it to memory each little trail and cluster of the hive, where they lived or moved. There wasn't a space on his body that Naruto's hands didn't caress as his ran his scans.

Even the natural bit of healing the Jutsu would do while used didn't seem to affect any of the alterations to his friends body. He eventually pulled away a look of awe on his features as he stood in front of Shino. "I.. thank you Shino. I can only guess but I know how much this must have taken you. But.." he bit his lip. "I don't see a reason to hide your body, it may be different but to me it's amazing."

A small blush covered the pale skin as he redressed himself. "For you Naruto-taichou. It's... something we don't even do often among our clan. But I wanted you to know where we stand, and what I think about you."

The rest of their lunch was in silence but nothing more needed to be said for now, there really was nothing they didn't share with each other anymore. Or at least for now.

A few weeks passed since that lunch, and team eleven were training. Training that's really all they did outside of stupid D-rank missions. But then Asuma seemed to have something planned, his features today showed it too. It was after lunch that really had them on edge as they weren't meeting in the mission office but back on their training grounds.

"I've decided we aren't taking anymore d-ranked missions for a while." he smiled, "As I've been thinking of what to teach you to help in your styles I actually came up pretty blank." he shrugged. "That is until I looked at what each of you could be capable of with a new set of skills." He pulled out three small pieces of paper. "Because of each one of you possess such high levels of chakra control, and certain limitations on Jutsu because of either clan views or what not. I am going to help you develop your elemental affinity."

All three gennin leaned forward, it was something they had wanted to learn but even Naruto wasn't sure how because neither of his three previous teachers used it. Asuma continued to speak, "These are a special paper that when infused with your chakra will have a specific reaction that will signify your element. Now all that really means at this point is that jutsu that are based in that element will be easier for you where as any jutsu of your opposed element will be more difficult." he pulled out one of his trench knives and a blue energy seemed to form around it before you could almost see the wind moving along the blade. "There are also things you can do once you gain control of your affinity that technically aren't jutsu." He winked.

Each one took a paper, and in her excitement Hinata was the first one to reveal her nature. She blinked as her paper crinkled into a ball. "Ano?" Her eyes were questioning but Asuma signaled to wait until the two boys were done. Shino's paper became nothing but dust, causing him to seem pleased or confused as you could never truly tell. Naruto's however turned a deep shade of green much like his medic chakra before it ripped in half and both halves becoming soaked.

"That's going to piss of a few people," Asuma laughed before he wiped a fake tear from his eye. "Earth for Shino, which given your kikkai it is the best element to deal with. Hinata you have lighting, which at first glance I wouldn't have pegged it. But beneath your shy exterior is a very headstrong and stubborn power." Looking at Naruto, "You I can only guess have somehow developed a primary affinity to medical chakra. If you follow my description earlier your medical jutsu are easier and more powerful because you have a natural or 'developed' affinity for it. How I have no clue since affinities mean your chakra is a small percentage of that element." He coughed, 'I'm not stupid dad, this is there son I would stake my life on it, the fact he shares both their elements...' "Wind and Water... an unusual combination. Wind is a rarity in our country, but fortunately I'm a wind release myself."

Naruto could fully well guess why he was a Iryo type, the conversion seal was always releasing the medical chakra into his system and body. The actual element type was a bit surprising but looking at his team and how it fit he couldn't be happier and only Hinata's would seem to affect Shino them most she's like a bug zapper now. "Okay so how exactly do we figure this out?"

"I'm glad you asked Naruto. The first stage is a leaf exercise. You need to have the leaf mimic the reaction the test paper did." Holding one up it split in half. " The method is to attempt to convert your chakra into a representation of the element. I would assume it would be similar to how you convert your chakra for your Iryo techniuqes."

He scratched his head and looked at the other two, "Could you teach us a jutsu for each element? I mean that's how I learned by focusing on the feeling the jutsu cause my chakra to be." Which he wasn't lying, the Mystical Palm took him a year to learn and now it is just instant, hell he's made versions of it for different need just like how he uses it to scan for injuries now or look at bodies.

Asuma scratched his chin, ' It's a c-rank but oh well.' "Sure, it will also let me test your actual control as these are brand new to you, so depending on how quickly you get it it to work.." He shrugged. "Shino, the one I can know that I can show you is called Earth Release: Terra Shield. "The few hand signs and he pulled a small wall up in front of him. " Hinata.. Lightning Release: Surge. It lets you emit lighting chakra in your hands to boost taijutsu." He showed her the seals, and then how it looked. "Naruto..." He smiled, "Wind release: Gale Palm and well I kind of picked this up when I was your age... it's always good for an escape. It's the Hidden Mist technique." Showing both of them he sent them off to practice.

Shino slowly went through the seals as he let the chakra flow through him, feeling it start to solidify before he touched the ground and pulled a small block of earth up. "That was... unusual." He kept repeating the jutsu until he had the wall slightly taller than him, and a good feeling for the change.

Hinata, however was getting a good feeling for the change as her hair could testify. The lavender afro really wasn't complimentary, but she eventually got enough control over it to keep it just in her hands, the small sparks of blue from her fingers as she watched it bounce back and forth.

Having two jutsu to get a feeling for sucked, but since he wasn't going to use a Shadow clone in front of Asuma he would just pick one for now. 'However I'll have him around for advice on the wind control,' He decided on the Hidden mist. The small puff of what looked like steam wasn't what he was expecting but the instant feeling of his chakra shifting was enough for him to smile before he pulled it off on the next try blanketing around himself. "That... this.. is awesome." He spoke from inside the mist. 'Now to fight my own chakra,' he shook his head, and followed through the signs for the Gale Palm. The slight breeze meant he did it correctly but didn't apply enough Chakra. With a smirk he flashed through it quickly causing the mist to disperse and the drain on his chakra to vanish.

Asuma watched each of them, though seeing Naruto pull of the first jutsu in ten minutes and on his second attempt at molding chakra had him raising an eyebrow. But to see him do the same thing moments later against his own jutsu with wind had him salivating at the prospects. Shino took nearly an hour to get his wall to work, but that was appreciable seeing as it took Asuma a few days when he learned it. Hinata was the last to finish, and being a Hyuga whom prided themselves on their control, that was interesting. 'Oh wait Naruto has been doing control training for years daily... Shino right behind him... I wonder how they figured Hyuga control was the best? Oh well.' Almost three hours for the poor girl before she got a grip, literally, on the jutsu.

Clapping his hands, "Well done you three. Now did you all get a feel for the element? Or did you trick me into free jutsu?"

The three of them smirked, well we think Shino did but you couldn't really tell it more felt like he was smirking. "Yes." the three chimed up.

He raised a brow at them, "Yes to which?"

"To both," Naruto smiled, while Hinata giggled and Shino nodded his head a few times. The answer causing a slight stumble from Asuma. " It does help if you know how to do a jutsu of that type, and how I showed them to meditate on their chakra it shouldn't be to hard to replicate in a few days a week or so to get this exercise down."

Shaking his head, "Kid this training takes months."

Laughing, "Yea if as far as you went was kunai balancing... I'm able to do medic level control exercises, which puts me in the 'perfect' control category. Shino is just starting on the first level of those and Hinata is only two exercises behind him." He picked up one of the leaves, and focused on the feeling the water had given him as he pooled his chakra slowly letting it trickle around the leaf before it formed a few drops of water. "See..." he showed the drops pool and drip off leaving a dry leaf. "I will have them both in a week which is when they will finish theirs." 'Not to mention I'm still going to learn their exercises too, and help them with mine.' He laughed inside.

The sound of a jackpot went off in his head, as he saw the outcome of Naruto's knowledge. But knowing his other two students were almost there as well. Who's ass did he kiss to get this team? Honestly?

A week passed and Naruto's assessment came true, the first tier of their control exercise for each element was complete and Naruto being a bit outside the box. Okay he was never in the box, was almost able to divide his attention to doing both at the same time in the opposite hand. Not to mention he was having an extra clone search for different jutsu for each of them. Shino was starting on Water, and Hinata on wind, while he was working on both Earth and Lightning during their early morning sessions. Team eight had landed a border patrol mission and would be gone for three more weeks.

"Fine you guys proved me wrong, so now I have to ask.. do any of you have a desire for weapons outside of what you already have?" He kind of hoped Naruto did.

Naruto shook his head, he had his puppets, which now he could think of some interesting things to do with his elements through them, or at least he hoped he could either mimic it or actually channel it. Shino however nodded, "Given my clan doesn't usually focus on such I would like to attempt to give myself a more varied approach."

"Ano, I would as well Asuma-Sensei." Her small head nodding slightly.

"Naruto?" he asked after smiling at the two that said they would.

"No thank you I... It doesn't mesh well with the style I am. I need both hands free for the way I fight." He declined politely.

He nodded, "Well that's fine. I will help these two pick a weapon. Is there anything I could help you with. I wouldn't want to seem unfair?"

Shaking his head, "If perhaps I could learn some form of genjutsu?" He was going to continue speaking, "But there's an ANBU heading our way."

As he finished an ANBU dropped from the trees, "Team Eleven, Hokage-sama requests your presence."

"What for?" Asuma walked forward.

"Team seven, requests assistance of a medic."

Nodding, "Alright, let's go." He motioned for his team to take the run. Following behind them, 'What did Kakshi get into now?'

It didn't take them long to get into the office, where the Hokage was holding the message. "Asuma, Kakashi and his team decided to push forward with their mission of escorting their client to Wave after encountering some ninja resistance. They had a second altercation with a higher level missing nin later that has left not only Kakashi suffering chakra exhaustion but also two of his team in wounded condition." Handing the message over to his son he continued. "He estimates a week until another confrontation with the shinobi and mercenaries. Your team is the only one with a trained medic that is available. I want you to go and assist with the mission. Naruto you are to have his team in fighting form before the confrontation."

Asuma and his team nodded, "Meet at the east gate in one hour." His team left to gather what they would need. Leaving him alone, "Dad... all three of them have mastered the first level of elemental manipulation.."

The hokage looked up sharply, "Why and how did you think that was a good idea?"

"It's not prohibited for me to teach a control exercise. Plus they each have a low level jutsu for their elements." he pulled out a cigarette, having agreed not to smoke during training. "Hell Naruto came up with having them go through it with an element they don't have an affinity for. At they rate they are going I would give them a month and I could test them again and it would register as a secondary." He took a long drag relishing the flavor. "Shino and Hinata have both agreed to learn a weapon style... I think the staff would be good for Shino.. being an Earth release... and Honestly a whip for her, it's creepy after the whole Kumo thing years ago but she's a lightning release. I think that's given her some of her confidence too."

"What of Naruto?" He wondered would he take after his father or his mother.

"Both."

"Huh?"

"It's the same thing I wondered I bet. Wind and Water... but.. He's been converting to Iryo so much it actuall registered as his primary. Just like the Nara all take on an inky color from their shadow jutsu." Sucking down the last of his smoke.

"He continues to surprise me. His fathers looks, Mothers build. Both of their genius and now their affinities." He looked out the window, "Sixteen or Chunnin... we tell him." Taking a sealed scroll from his desk. "Take this to the house before you go, it's from his parents... I have a feeling it's not going to be safe here... and I've always trusted my feelings."

-East Gate-

Naruto had rushed to Sasori's, seeing that's where he kept anything worth keeping, and collected his gear. Katsu and Naru, were in the hip holster, Maru and Taru safely sealed in his bands. Aero however was perched above the gate. Shino and Hinata both stood with him though she had a look of worry on her features. "Hinata-chan...you'll be fine."

"I know.. but but what if I have to...to kill?" She started shaking.

"If it's to save your team, your friends your family or innocent people from being killed would you do it?" Naruto asked.

She thought about it, "I.. don't know?"

The blond nodded, "It's better than saying no. When the time comes you have us and Asuma-sensei to help." giving her a smile.

"You're all here." Asuma landed. "Since it's us we can make it there in a day if we push ourselves." They began to move out of the gate, "Naruto you are on point, I'll be the spoke, Hinata and Shino will be at eight and four. Rotate out every hour." They started to run, "Conserve your chakra, point will scout, only then are Kikkai and your doujutsu allowed Let's go."

They encountered nothing, and broke for a meal and two hours rest halfway there. "You're all doing fine. Everyone rest and eat." He sighed he wasn't as young as he used to be... maybe he should take up those exercises. "It's not often I say this but i'm proud of you guys. Thankfully you're more advanced than the other teams or I might be worried." He tried to joke but it came out flat.

Naruto nodded, " How far from wave are we?"

"With out speed and not needing to get a boat.." He looked up, "if we don't have any issues after this break we should be there by morning."

"You can smoke when we get there...Outside though." He looked up, "Or I will reverse your nervous system for a whole week once this is over."

Asuma chuckled dryly, "deal kid.."

"Who are the one injured?" Hinata asked.

"Kiba and Sasuke.. plus mention of the ninken."

Naruto frowned, "Then that sounds strange Sakura isn't that talented.. "

"She didn't fight, at all."

Blue eyes looked into lavender, "Hinata would you be a dear when we get there and try to show her what a kunoichi should be?"

She nodded, "Yes Taichou."

"Shino would you leave some Kikkai at the bridge when we pass it." He looked over to his friend, getting a nod. "Asuma-sensei would you take over guard duty of the builder? I'm sure Kakashi will be down three more days and I will be fairly beat after tending to three injure ninja and their sensei."

"Three?"

"Ninken are classified as shinobi under village law, so yes Three."

They rested and the set out once more, everyone but Naruto and Shino were unaware of the bird that flew above them circling. As the sun rose, the saw the signs of the unfinished bridge, and the poverty stricken town. The larger home that they followed the directions to stood before them. Asuma knocked on the door and explained to the woman who let them in. "They're upstairs first room on the right."

Naruto nodded, "Hinata deal with Sakura I will need my concentration." The two went up the stairs a screech was cut short as Hinata was dragging Sakura out the downstairs door.

The blond surveyed the three guys and the dog. " I know you're awake Hatake-san." As he moved over to Akamaru, his hands instantly glowing green. He grimaced, "What did they use a meat cleaver?" He was no vet but his time working on Katsu he became intimately familiar with cannine anatomy. He had to reset four ribs, a femur and some internal bleeding as well as the gashes in the dogs sides. Three hours later and he slowly stood up, his back popping before he moved between Kiba and Sasuke.

His hands glowed over each of them before he decided Kiba was the most severe. A few bones were broken but nothing to bad as he went on his way, once finished his hands were coated in a purple tint as he pushed a nerve agent into the boy. " He'll be up tomorrow, nothing heavy though I had to force set two of his ribs."

Kakashi nodded, from his seat. 'You're parents would have been proud of you.' The man thought, as he continued to observe the motherly yet very attentive and professional nature the blond exuded as he worked. The slight frown that formed on his face caused him to speak up. "What's wrong?"

"Mild concusion, he shouldn't be sleeping... fracture orbital bone, self inflicted stomach wound.." He hummed before he began mending the tissue in the boys gut. "Killing intent?"

"I never thought to expose them." kakashi said off handedly.

"You're an idiot. Your teams condition is a reflection of your training and your own abilities." He murmured as he moved to the eye socket and carefully cut into the tissue to remove the bone splinters before he placed them where they should be. "Kiba is hot headed, Sasuke never wanted help or to be close to anyone. Sakura is nowhere prepared for active duty. She is a disgrace to shinobi and even more so to Kunoichi." he clucked out as he sealed up the skin and began working closer to the boys brain, soothing the tissue and alleviating the bruising.

Kakashi took the reprimand, even though he didn't like it. Right now he knew to never argue with a Medic. Once the boy was not being a medic, he would give him a dressing down for insubordination.

"I said outside Asuma-sensei!" he barked at the door as he ran a final scan over Sasuke. The grumbling from downstairs and the sound of a door could be heard.

"What was that?"

"I told him he could smoke when we got here but it had to be outside." he walked over, "Now it's your turn." The green chakra coated the boys hands once more as he started running them. "Pulled muscle, and severe chakra drain... what from?" as he went to fixing the muscle.

Kakashi blinked, the boy was telling Asuma what to do. He held the charisma his father did that was for sure, but right now Kakashi could definitely see the boys mother showing through. "My eye. It's a sharingan."

Blonde hair whipped, as his head and hand snapped up, covering the socket with his chakra. "Who ever put it in did a shitty job. Why didn't you have it fixed?" Kakashi blinked. "Seriously? Is the village that stuck up their ass they couldn't fix the implant?" He shook his head. " Fuck it..."

The next thing Kakashi knew was unconsciousness. He didn't know for how long he was out but when he came too he felt better. "Ugh.." Maybe not. "What did he do?"

"He if you're referring to me fixed that eye sore." He chuckled, "You had nerves attached incorrectly and to much scar tissue for it to function like it should. Now.. however.." he waved a hand.

Blinking he looked into a mirror to see one black eye and one gray. "It's not active?"

"Nope It will still drain like a bitch, but maybe half as bad as before." he yawned, "It's also been two days. Also Sakura is not able to train til tomorrow. Asuma has the boys working on tree climbing, and Akamaru will be ready to join tomorrow as well."

"What about the bridge?"

"It and the Builder are fine. Shino keep s some Kikkai there durring the night, and Asuma has been doing guard duty during the day." Another yawn.

"What have you been doing?"

"Me let see ran the whole way here, then spent another twenty-seven hours fixing you and your team... I dunno sleeping and recovering my chakra?" He stretched, before he cuddled back into the bed, "Asuma should be back soon.. He.. He can fill you in.." Snoring soon replaced the boys words.

Kakashi got up feeling of balance but then having two eyes instead of one might do that. Then he headed down stairs to see the hell that this was going to cause. Only to find, Hinata helping in the kitchen. Shino was meditating? Sasuke and kiba were both rather quiet, and Sakura was looking like a mummy. "What is going on?"

"Getting ready for Dinner Kakashi-sensei." came Kiba's reply.

"Thinking on how I am a total dick and should treat my team mates better." Came the other boys answer.

"Not being an embarrassment to Kunoichi." was the muffled response from the pink haired mummy.

The door opened to find Asuma walking inside. "Kakashi.." he froze, "He fixed that too?" The silver haired jounin simply nodded. " Love that kid." he shook his head with a smile.

"Okay what weird parallel dimension did I just wake up it?"

Asuma just chuckled, "Nothing just the last three days has been an eye opener to your team." He smiled. " Would you like to know how?" A simple nod was given and he launched into an abbreviated story.

"Well I'm sure you heard Hinata take Sakura outside when we got here?" He smiled, " Well come to find out not only does she hit like a baby she has a glass jaw."

Hinata came in smiling. " Sixty-four palms... She deserved to feel worse than her teammates for not doing anything but just stand there."

"Anyway Naruto healed that up after he finished with your eye."

"Then why is she bandaged up?"

Shino stood up, "She called me a freak for my Kikkai. Taichou refused to heal her after I re-educated your student."

Kakashi looked at her, and couldn't muster any sympathy. " and the boys?"

"Oh well Hinata just showed them that she is a shinobi and not a girl to be pampered." The two boys in question shuddered. "My team is of the belief that once you put on your hitae-aite your gender matters as much as your hair color."

"I will admit Kunoichi can be formidable but in a fair fight.."

Hinata interrupted, "We are ninja the only use for the word fair is to describe a carnival."

"Did I forget to mention she took them on at the same time?" Asuma's grin was threatening to crack his face.

Kiba spoke up, "Did .." he stopped his words, 'dobe' having started to come from his lips. "Naruto mention anything about Akamaru?"

Kakashi was still trying to avoid freaking out, 'Why who did I shit on to get so screwed.' Clearing his thoughts before they were given voice, "Yes I was awake during the treatments for all of you. He said that Akamaru would be ready to join you tomorrow. But seeing as he also said that you weren't to do anything strenuous you will let him check you when he wakes up. He had to force some of your ribs."

" I can't believe I lost... I still don't know what I did wrong." Sasuke muttered not really paying attention to what was going on.

"You underestimated your opponent. You don't put yourself into your training, you refuse assitance only demanding more powerful jutsu when you have only learned and not mastered anything." Asuma began.

"You're arrogant and selfish, thinking only for yourself and not the saftey of your team or others." Hinata continued.

"You're rabid fanaticism with your brothers betrayal clouds your ability to function. He was a prodigy, which you are not. He trained more than he slept," Kakashi chimed in thankful for a reason to. "I worked with him when I was younger. Your focus is on revenge not on getting the skills or training to execute it."

"You also have no purpose in life that gives you reason to become more than you are." Shino softly spoke, "Every one here who is better skilled than you works to be something outside of being a Shinobi. Yes that is our job, our profession but what skills do you have outside of that? Asuma plays piano, I weave, Hinata gardens, Naruto does wood working. It keeps us grounded that there is a world outside... you've lost the world. If you want to become better you need to find it again." His words ended as he made his way towards the stairs. "I will check on taichou."

Quietly Shino stepped in and closed the door before walking over to the sleeping blond. He tentatively reached out and brushed a few strands of hair from his face. Letting out a sigh he settled himself down in the chair next to him. "I hope you will understand one day." he leaned over and placed a light kiss on the blondes cheek before getting up and leaving the room just as quietly as he entered. Making his way down the smell of food hit him, as dinner was being uncovered.

"Sleeping?" Asuma asked.

Shaking his head as he took a seat, "I think passed out exhausted would be a better use of words. My kikkai showed his reserves were extremely low." He took the offered food and filled his plate before passing it on. "However he has a high rate of recovery from such things, so he should be fine after this coma nap."

Hinata chuckled, "Of course that means more training for us when he gets up." Causing shino to nod.

"Oh Kakashi, have you tested your teams affinity?" Asuma asked as he passed some rice.

"No, their control isn't high enough right now to even bother... you?" The former cyclops asked.

Taking a small bit and enjoying the home cooked food he nodded, "Yes it's why I asked.. I need a couple jutsu for them and you have quite a bit more up your sleeve than I do."

"Trade teams while we are here... I'll work with yours on some jutsu if you keep working with mine on control?"

"Sounds fair." 'Plus it's not me teaching them so it's Kakashi who will take the blame hehehe'.

"They should be able to get the handle of at least one by the deadline." He shrugged, Shino and Hinata both gave Asuma a look mouthing 'Fair'? To which his answer was a smirk that caused Hinata to giggle. 'Man no wonder they like using that train of thought.'


	6. Chapter 6

Kakashi stood watching Asuma's team working on their third set of Jutsu he had given them. 'This is insane.' He thought. While at the same time he was surprised by their skill. 'If I didn't know they had just graduated I would swear they were Chunin.'

They were standing near or on the water working on their jutsu. Naruto was moving through the water dragon, Hinata the lightning clone, and Shino the Hiding like a Mole. "Alright Switch!" Naruto called out causing them to rotate not only their positions but the jutsu they were working on. What Kakashi didn't know was that Naruto had clones hiding much deeper in the woods working on Decomposition training for the other elements.

With Asuma he was watching the others working on their tree walking and water walking as the case may be. His expression was rather forlorn seeing that after so long with his team he had forgotten the true level of skill for gennin. "Again," He called out seeing them failing and falling.

Later that week, Sasuke approached Naruto as he was training. Though it was more as he was meditating. "How did you get so strong?"

The blond slowly opened his eyes, "Two ways." He picked himself up from the ground dusting his pants off. "One I've been training everyday since I was six. Which I'm sure you have done too." He looked to see the dark haired teen nod. "Two I trained so others wouldn't have to. I needed to be stronger so that others wouldn't have to fight so that I could protect them from others and from themselves."

"Themselves?"

He nodded, "Yes from learning power. Power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely." His gaze hardened. "You strive for more power, with out learning to control it.. learning the purpose behind it." He walked towards the water looking out over it as the sun was setting. "You think if you gain enough power you can just throw it and destroy. It's not the power that you need to worry about but yourself and what you choose to do with it." He sighed, "I have more power than I want... but I chose to use it to heal, to understand to learn. Fighting just comes because I can use this power, It's not what I want but what is expected of me and what I must do to continue to help others."

"Hn," He scowled. 'I don't want to believe him. But... everything I have seen him do... everything has never been for himself.' He brooded over the concept. His brothers words filtered into his mind. '_I killed them because they were weak._' Weak...selfish...corrupt... 'Is that what he meant? By why should I hate him?' The visions from that night haunted him, but now he looked beyond the actions of his brother but to the words being yelled by the others as he killed them. 'Power, Uchiha .. greatness... weak village...' Arrogance. "I see."

Naruto watched him turn and walk away. "You can come out now Kakashi."

The jounin appeared from the tree line, "You remind me of my Sensei. He used words very similar to those about me."

"He sounds like a very good man."

"He was and eventually he became the Yondaime Hokage." He settled himself down on the ground.

Shaking his head, "Then why are you dishonoring him with your actions?"

"Naruto... I..." He paused. 'Fuck it.' "Naruto I know who your parents were."

The blond narrowed his eyes as he looked at Kakashi, "Who?"

Rubbing the back of his 'white' hair, "Kushina Uzumaki. She was your mother." Closing his eyes, " Look.. I would tell you all I know but I won't fully go against the Hokages laws. Just know that they didn't abandon you and that they truly did love you Alright?" Getting himself up from the ground, "You're so like her in being full of surprises... I had hoped you would have been on my team... I had planned on giving you this.." He pulled out and tossed a scroll with the symbol of whirlpool on it. "I saved it for you.. it's her summoning contract she made herself." With that he vanished in a swirl of leaves.

He blinked, before he opened the scroll.

_Naruto-kun,_

_Your father is a paranoid man, but incase something did happen to us I wanted to write to you. First only believe the good things people say about me, I might have been a touch of a hot head and a trouble maker. Second I have loved you ever since the first day I knew about you. If you choose to be a shiniobi then I want you to have the scroll sealed inside this letter. Now if you are anything like me you either have a lot of friends or you didn't have any, and took the first chance you could to make friends and did everything for them so they wouldn't leave you. You don't have to be like them... you should be who you really and truly are and be happy. Also on the off chance that you didn't take after your father I also sealed The Uzumaki Weapons, all of my money and scrolls on how to use them. If you end up with Kakashi for a Sensei.. help him get that stick out of his ass okay?_

_All my Love, _

_Kushina Uzumaki_

He looked at the drops of tears that were falling onto the page. 'Is that what I have been doing?' He thought to himself. Blindly following because of a desire to belong? Part of him screamed yes, while another part of him said it didn't matter anymore. He just dropped to sit on the ground. Thinking about everything that had happened to him and everything he had strove to be and to learn. 'Was it worth it?' On one side the control, along with what was locked inside him he had to say that he was very thankful. Being a medic? 'Hell yes I can actually save people...' He knew Kabuto liked him, maybe even cared from him like a brother he couldn't shake that feeling of pride or happiness from his memories when they trained or studied together.

His thoughts moved to Anko, sure he had started that out as nothing more than getting what he needed and trading a simple freedom for it. But the years, even in her deranged way she showed truly that she cared for him. Always holding back just enough to not kill him but honestly helping him learn. The times they didn't train but just talked. She was a victim like he had been maybe they had both clung to the hope and the desperate feelings in the beginning but now? No she was an older sister and treated him just like it. Only maybe a bit more sadistic but he wouldn't have her any other way.

Sasori-sama... His thoughts twisted. Naruto wasn't stupid anymore, maybe smarter than his master thought. He had figured out the man wasn't such but nothing more than a puppet made from his own body. There wasn't anything human about him, not anymore. The faked smiles the shinobi was nothing more than a thinking and aware tool, and that's even how he treated himself. Though he thought about the few emotions that he could tell were real, the love of his art, the hatred for Orochimaru...but anything towards Him? It was calculated, rigged to get him to act. "Kami... why was I so Blind..." He choked out.

Even then Sasori had taken the time to fix him, help him even if it was for the mans own purposes. The purpose of Revenge against Orochimaru and even the Akatsuki. It wasn't out of true care for Naruto, he was using him as he used his own puppets. It startled him that it seemed he always knew this, but had shoved it aside not wanting to truly see it. He looked at the scrolls on his hip, the sick feeling of what he truly did for a man to earn his approval. He had practically tortured and mutated a kind animal for his own purposes only to kill it and make it nothing more than a mindless slave to the twitch of his fingers. For what? A 'Good job,' or a 'I'm impressed Naruto.' Nothing but hollow words even then he knew it but pushed it aside.

His eyes fell to the place his tattoo of his mastery sat, he earned it but was it for the right reasons? He had focuses so hard on getting those scraps of approval but it was empty. He wouldn't use them for that anymore. It was a skill he earned that he couldn't ignore but his mind and spirit were aligning to a new purpose. He was a healer and a killer, He was a sword and he needed a shield. His head nodded at some unknown concept that latched on and grew quickly. He would make himself a shield.

He didn't know how long he sat there, but his resolve was reforged and tempered further than before. He had true friends and people who cared about him as Naruto not what he could do or what he was or would be but just him. He summoned Aero to him, with a sad look before he sealed the scroll inside the puppet. Taking the time to charge to seals on the bird. "Return to Konoha, and Store yourself in the perch." The bird took off. "Command seals, and a few programing seals Sasori...I may not hate you for what you did... but from now on there are no strings attached." Pushing himself from the ground he made his way back to the house.

Finding Kakashi sitting outside, "An eye for an eye... Thank you." He nodded to the Jounin before he walked in. The smile on the man hidden by his mask. From inside the house, "Asuma...outside." Moments later the man walked out with a sad look on his face.

"Caught smoking inside?" Kakashi chuckled.

"Yea... I don't even know why I let him order me arround..."

"Maybe it's because you know what he did to your Dad?"

Both men shuddered seeing the Hokage go through withdraws. "That could be it."

It was much later that night when team Eleven minus their Sensei were found outside. "Hinata.. I have somethings to tell you. Shino knows and I feel that I can trust you to understand some of this." He settled himself down and began telling her nearly everything. Save that he knew Puppet jutsu. That was something he didn't fee like sharing anymore, and also he wanted something to remain between him and Shino.

To say Hinata was shocked, angered, sad and happy would have been a slight understatement. But all the time they had spent together and her own secret stalking.. err... crush hunting she finally had the pieces to put together. " This doesn't make any difference in how I feel about you. Although I am glad you trust me enough to let me in." She smiled slightly. Getting up, "I'm going to finish helping Tsunami-san with dinner." She walked away, 'Naruto-kun trusts me!' the Chibi in her mind squeeled and jumped around.

"You are aware of her affections towards you?" The cool voice of Shino broke the silence after she had left.

He nodded, "She's like a little sister to me." He closed his eyes, "I didn't tell her everything."

"Of that I am aware. Though I confess to being curious as to why?"

Blue eyes looked into sunglasses. "There are somethings about me that I only want you to know." he said with a soft smile. "Like Kakashi told me who my mother was today." The small glimmer of tears echoed in his eyes what he felt in his heart now. "They didn't leave me... they both died my parents... My mother was Kushina Uzumaki... I actually have a clan.."

Shino reached out and put a soft hand on his friends shoulder. He sat there in silence for a time before he spoke, "That is not a clan of our village. They were the elite of Whirlpool. But from what I have learned they were destroyed long before we were born."

He found his hand coming to rest on the one on his shoulder, "I know...I always thought it was just a name they gave me at the orphanage.. but the letter it's what my mother called me." he sighed as a single tear slipped down his cheek. "We need to be ready for tomorrow... think we will win?"

"The odds are in our favor.. but only marginally."

The next morning, teams eleven and seven were moving to the bridge, Kakashi having stayed behind the excuse needing to find a blue cat. Asuma's team new it was an excuse to guard the house, and show up later if needed. They weren't however prepared for what they saw when they arrived at the bridge. Blood and bodies of the workers were scattered here and there. Naruto knew none of them were alive and it made him sick. Team seven were visibly shaken by it, though Sasuke seemed to be having a flash back to his own family.

"Their dead." His tone was flat. Causing everyone to look at him.

"How can you.. you be so cold!" Sakura bellowed.

"Taichou wasn't referring to the workers Hanuro-san." Shino answered, "But to the ninja that are currently hiding under the bridge in an attempt to ambush us."

As soon as the words left his mouth a thick mist rose to cover the bridge. "Heart, lungs, liver.."

"Air Release:Gale Force Palm." Naruto's voice interrupted as his wind chakra slammed the mist away from the bridge, his body slightly covered in a green tint of chakra.

"Haku deal with the blond and his friends..." He said as he launched towards Asuma he pulled his blades and clashed against the missing-nin. The sounds of metal and sparks only visible as the two high level ninja clashed back and forth across the bridge.

"I'm sorry but Zabuza-sama wishes you to be removed." The masked nin stated before senbon formed from the air and flew at them. Naruto, Hinata and Shino were left unscathed as they jumped infront of Tazuna raising a mud wall quickly.

Team seven on the other hand had froze and were now pin cushions that were dropping to their knees. "Hinata watch them and Tazuna." Naruto said as he jumped over the wall, "Shino... watch my back."

"Hai taichou, "both said in unison as they jumped into a decent position, Hinata's eyes bulging as she activated them. A swarm of Kikai flowed along the ground as Shino seemed to be standing impassively.

Naruto launched himself with speed as the scalpels formed off of his fingers, swiping at the enemy. Both dodged and swayed against each attack. 'Damn it.. their just as fast a me.' "If I asked you to hold still..."

"I'm afraid not. Zabuzza-sama needs me to ensure you do not win." As Haku flung a spray of needles into Naruto.

The pain was a bit unconfortable before he pulsed his chakra to heal the wounds, 'thank you Kabuto-nii for creating this jutsu.' he thought. The needles all fell to the ground as he titled his head, "You will have to try harder than that Haku-san."

Haku caught the flux of chakra and was taken back by the unwounded boy standing there now. 'Is it a bloodline or is he a medic?' "I will not fail my purpose. Demonic Ice Mirrors." Causing mirrors to form all around the two in a dome, "The power of my bloodline, allows me to create ice. You will find that you will be unable to survive now." Haku spoke stepping back into a mirror only to send the image to all of them.

'A sub element bloodline!' His eyes darting to each image as he tried to process how to get out of this. Even his ability to spot chakra signatures was distorted by this attack. ' Each mirror has the signature, damn it... Ice is water.. but with what?' He closed his eyes knowing they wouldn't be any help here. As he stood perfectly still inside the dome waiting for the first attack. Then it came, faster than anything he had ever faced, it was like it was from every angle as he stood there frozen needles sticking in him from every position. As before he flooded his body with Iryo chakra pushing the needles out and instantly healing the damage. He did however notice the signature moving all around him as if it was leaving each mirror. Just seconds after it entered another one.

Haku was shocked the boy had not only survived all of that but once more was untouched. 'No look there's blood on the ground... he's just healing himself.' tilting the masked face, "You seem unafraid of my attacks."

He chuckled, "Needles won't do much against me if I can heal with my jutsu so quickly." he held up his hand covered in dark purple chakra, "Devil's Breath." The chakra dispersed into a thick cloud that covered him and filled the interior of the dome. "Come and try again?"

Haku, seemed worried but then 'I will just hold my breath,' The signs of a skilled medic were enough to know what that cloud could be. Resolve building Haku leaped from the mirrors sending waves of senbon into the boy that stood in the center once more. Until hearing the boys knee hit the ground stopping once more in the mirrors.

Dispelling the jutsu Naruto forced his body to heal one more time only to push himself up with a smirk. " Thank you." His hand forming several seals, "Devil's Breath: Chakra destruction," His voice was calm before the mirrors started to bubble and Haku fell out of one scratching at the exposed skin. "I have exactly twenty seconds to deliver the antidote or your pathways will be permanently destroyed." He raised his hand now covered in the traditional glow of the medic. Letting it purge the poison from the nins body, while he was healing he paused over the heart, and just turned it off as the last of the poison was pushed from the body. Quickly pulling a scroll from his pouch he sealed the nin inside as the mirrors cracked and began to crash around him.

Shino and Hinata didn't look as good as Naruto when he made his way back to them. A few cuts and bruises covered them as he noted the massive amounts of water puddles surrounding them. "Sensei?"

Shino nodded in the direction of the two elites still fighting. The three of them continued to watch before Asuma caught the massive blade with his smaller ones. Only to hear Zabuza call out in pain before he dropped to the ground. Blood escaping from both sides of his neck. Asuma not to far behind him.

Naruto jumped over to him and caught his Sensei, before Shino arrived right behind him. "take him back to the others." With a a nod they left. Naruto turned to look at the almost dead man, "You made one mistake... You killed defenseless and innocent people." Striking out with his right hand the chakra scalpels severing the head that he caught and sealed quickly along with the massive blade. Running back to his team, he created seven clones and started the healing process. Around that time Kakashi showed up looking around seeing his team taken down and Asuma's still functional he sighed.

"Okay will someone explain what happened?"

"Zabuza along with his accomplice Haku attacked the workers before we arrived. Asuma and Zabuza fought, while Haku created a full field of senbon from Ice, protecting the client we jumped to his guard yours.. froze." Hinata started after a Naruto said she was fine.

"Taichou ordered Hinata to protect Tazuna and your team, while I was to be the middle ground in his fight with this Haku. The enemy created a dome of mirrors that seemed to enhance speed incredibly beyond limits trapping Naruto inside." he looked to the clones that were almost finished. "From that point we were unable to observe as several Water clones of Zabuza attempted an assault."

The last clones popped out of existence. 'He can use Shadow clones...this is new and I know Asuma didn't teach him.' "What else happened?"

Naruto described his fight, leaving out that he kept the body rather it fell into the water. 'it wouldn't be found any way.' Then described the last of Asuma's fight and the subsequent beheading and sealing of the sword and head for the bounty. " I then began treating the injuries then your arrival. Sensei has Chakra depletion, your team has suffered slightly but after tomorrow will be fine for active duty."

"Well it looks like I don't have to pay him after all." A snarky voice echoed from the end of the bridge. "But at least you look worn down." The voice chuckled, "Kill them all."

"Shino?" Naruto asked.

"Kill?"

"kakashi?" Naruto looked at the senior member.

"Yes." he didn't sound happy about it but it was for the best.

Naruto nodded as the other boy took off releasing clouds of bugs that swarmed the mercenary force causing panic and screams as they seemed to move quickly through them bodies dropping rapidly. It wasn't long before he returned the last of his kikai slipping inside his coat. "Objective completed."

Naruto smiled softly, they both shared their first kill, in the field. With the truth told he didn't want Hinata to share that just yet. She wasn't ready to handle that.

Kakashi shuddered even if he wanted to hide it he couldn't. 'That's just...no gennin should be that ...efficient. His control of his hive would make his father proud though.' He eyed the two boys seeing the aftermath of killing visible on them and were handling it together. That much was a good sign, and he understood why Naruto had him do it... a bond and maybe he isn't as strong as he puts on. "Take everyone to the house.. I'll handle the clean up."

It took two more weeks for the bridge to be finished, along with raiding all of Gato's hide outs to get everything back for the village. They were rebuilding, and would grow again this time maybe better. The two teams were heading out as the ceremony for the bridge ended. Each with their own thoughts on what would happen next.

The two jounin had different minds. Kakashi after much thinking and witnessing this time together knew he had to beat his team into the ground if he wanted to even try to get them to be real ninja. Though he could see the changes that the time with the other team made on them.

Asuma was proud of his team, there were things that needed improvement as always but he couldn't be happier with their teamwork, and their skills to this point. 'I'm entering them in the exams, they are all ready and can work at that level.' He reached for a cigarette but stopped tucking them back into his coat. He wasn't going to lie but not smoking as much may have been the deciding factor in that fight, not that he would tell Naruto that.

Hokage Tower

"Thank you for your reports." Hiruzen said after listening to them and glancing at the written version. His fingers resting on his pipe but refraining while they were there. "Two weeks for training and recuperation then I'll allow you back on missions. You're dismissed." He watched as they nodded and filed out all save for Naruto. "Naruto?"

the blond waited until the door closed. "I wanted.." He stopped himself for a moment. Running a hand through his hair before he restarted. "I just wanted to say thank you for letting Kabuto and Anko help me. I don't know if I would have made it this far with out them." He smiled sadly, "Plus I just wanted you to know how much it means that you've tried to keep me happy. You're like the grandfather that I might have had."

He got out of his chair and knelt down in front of Naruto placing both hands on his shoulders. "That means a lot Naruto. I wish your parents were here to see you cause I know they would be so proud of you." He smiled, "Just like I am." He straightened up, "Now how about we go for some ramen? The paper work can wait for a little while longer."

"Sure.. but you could always just leave a Shadow clone..." Naruto smirked and smiled at the same time.

There was a moment of silence before the hokages jaw fell open in a stuttering fashion, "How.. wha.. I'm so stupid!"

"Nah you're just getting old.. after all as the 'Professor' I'm sure somethings have slipped in your old age." he chuckled.


	7. Chapter 7

Naruto had visited Anko and Kabuto during his two weeks 'off'. Giving them the details of his misssion and how the play by play went. He also told them how he realized they were his real family even if there wasn't any blood shared. Anko had tried to stab him playfully but smiled knowing she felt the same way about the brat. Kabuto had nodded, saying he didn't feel as close to anyone else in the village than he did with Naruto. Though the blond caught the small smirk on Anko's face at that statement.

The rest of his time was spent reading over the scroll his mother had left for him. The only think he could think of it was really that his mother most have scavenged their old home village for these scrolls. The sword he found in the scroll was one he didn't really know, he was expecting a Katana or something similar. But instead it was a slender doubled edge straight blade, with whirlpool symbols etched along it's length. He could feel the slight pull from his chakra into the blade, as it tested him. The Uzumaki Clan blade was one that was a bound weapon, it would forge a link to it's master if found worthy. This also, according to the scrolls, would allow him to summon it back to him and prevent anyone from attempting to wield it. There were also mentions of different skills for it compared to not being bound with it the blade.

His clones worked on each and every technique, while he himself would spend the training sessions working on the kata's for the sword. Letting Asuma work with Shino and Hinata in their new weapons. Today however was their last day of their 'relief' time. "Bring it in, I have somethings I want to talk to you about." Asuma waved the three gennin in from their training. He did have to admit it was rather eerie watching how well they all took to any skill he gave them to train. Sure they weren't a master of any field. 'Except for Naruto, he is a filly qualified medic, and maybe a Control Master... even if we don't qualify that as a field I would damn sure think it counts.' He nodded seeing them all there. "I have been given an option that I wanted to see what your thoughts on this are."

The team all nodded, as they looked at each other. Their entirety covered in sweat, and Hinata in a few thin cuts. Her's was a far more difficult weapon in concept but she had to admit it felt right in her hands, not to mention she could channel chakra through it and with enough practice the Jukken.

" The chunnin exam is in two months. I'm going to enter you to participate, however." he paused, "Even with your A ranked mission, you still need four more C ranking missions to qualify." He took a moment to see the calculating look in his teams eyes... minus what he would assume to be one behind a set of sunglasses. "So the question I have for you is would you want to to them all in a row or space them out letting you have a few days to a week for training?"

Two of them turned to look at Naruto, He however just smiled with a faint nod. "All at once, in case we need to recuperate at the end we can still have a decent block of solid training."

"That's what I thought you would say. So I went a head and told the Hokage as much. We will be taking border Patrols. All are one week, and we will just moved posts for each mission." He smiled, " We leave tomorrow, we will have two days in between for travel and to resupply. Fortunately these are the most routine C-rank missions. Usually the 'D' ranks of Chunnin."

The next four weeks if you asked the team were the dullest and largest waste of their time ever. They also begged, well for them it would be considered begging, with veiled threats of bodily harm to never have to do this mission again. The only good in Naruto's eyes was that he fully completed the bonding with the Hariken blade. Which he kept that a secret as much as he could, yet Hinata and Shino both noticed his severe lake of Chakra the last week of the mission. Even if the lack placed him in the normal range it was still a drastic difference from his usually radiating body.

Asuma had given them a few days off before having them hammer in their training. Which was a shock to see when he arrived early to the training grounds, just so try and glimpse what they did before he got there. The shocking sight of five Hinata, seven Shino and about twenty Naruto all working on either manipulation exercises, trading jutsu and working with their weapons made the man fall from his tree.

"What?"

They all turned to look at him, before Naruto dispelled his clones in threes and Hinata and Shino waiting five minutes between a single clone. "I guess you found one of our secrets Sensei." The blond said as if it were completely normal for a team of Gennin to be able to create a Shadow clone let alone so many.

Shaking off the fall and the prior shock, "Yes.. now I want to know a few things. Which you will tell me or I will make sure you never do anything more than the dirtiest D-Rank missions I can find." He smirked, "Or border patrols until your fifty." He watched in glee or rather the feeling of finally getting to be in charge for once.

Looking to his team he nodded, getting a sense of their relief from having to keep this a secret. "Ask and we will tell you, but if we refuse something don't push it." The blond said, "Some of us like to keep things a secret for a surprise later."

Asuma nodded he could understand that much, after all he kept a few jutsu he knew even from the Hokage just in case he needed them. " First how long have you used and known the Shadow clone?"

Naruto took this one, "Since I was seven... as for Hinata and Shino about eight months."

Asuma blinked, 'The kids been using this since he was seven? That would explain how he managed to full aspects of being a medic.' "That would explain a few things. Now what about Chakra control and Elemental Manipulation?"

"With the help of the Shadow clones I have nearly completed the Earth exercises, and have started the second stage of Water decomposition." Shino answered in his inflectionless tone, "Also I have reached the second tier of Iryo exercises."

"Ano, The same as Shino but with my Lightning, and the water." Hinata spoke with more authority but was still reserved.

Naruto smiled feeling happy for his friends and his hard work paying off, "I've got the Water and Wind 'mastered' and am almost completed with the Second level of Earth decomposition and the first of Lightning." He shrugged, "As for control exercises...I've sort of ran out of any new ones so i've been mixing at least three different ones to make it more difficult."

"You are already doing elemental decomposition?" HE shook his head, " But none of you are doing Fire..."

"For most that would seem a weakness, Yet we all have skills that are opposed to fire, as well it is in over abundance in this country. Allowing us to be underestimated in fights." Shino replied.

Rubbing his face, "Fine..I already know your taijutsu and your kenjutsu skills roughly enough to guess they are your lower skills." Getting a nod, "Outside of the Substitution, Henge, Academy Clone and Shadow clone what are your ninjutsu?"

Naruto opened his mouth first, "Suiton jutsu for all of us are the Hiding in the Mist, Suiton:Water Bullet and the Water Prison. I also know the Water Fall Basin." He paused a moment. "Shino an I know Doton skills of hiding like a mole, the underground fisher king projection and the Tearing Earth turning palm. He also knows Earth Spear though he's not mastered it yet." Smiling he looked to Hinata, "Her and I both know the Raiton Skills of Shocking Palm, Thunder wave and Storm Lance. She also can do the Lighting Ball, and is working on a version of the Chidori that Kakashi taught her." Rubbing the back of his head, "Fuuton wise I know Gale Force Palm, Wind blade, Great Breakthrough and Pressure Damage. I'm working on making a version of the Earth Spear but for wind. We also are working on a collaboration technique starting with Suiton but eventually we want to merge our different element for it."

Hearing the list it wasn't really to over powered, individually, but Naruto knowing almost all of their jutsu was a bit unnerving yet he shared and trained them in a common element. It showed far more that he wasn't the demon trapped inside of him. The concept of a collaboration however had him interested. "I have seen a few of those would you mind showing me what you can do with it so far?"

The three jumped back to the stream with Naruto in the middle, Hinata and Shino were in perfect sync with their handsigns which he noted were for the water Dragon until they twisted the end of it into something he couldn't quite tell. Meanwhile Naruto was doing his own set of seals that would sync into theirs every other one, "Suiton: Hydra Shot." Three water dragons rose from the stream until they stood in front of them only for the water to merge around them creating a body. "Elemental Rotation," This however caused one of the Heads to stat sparking, the middle to begin swirling and the last to become darker almost murky. That's went it fell apart and sort of exploded around them leaving them soaked to the bone and covered in muck.

Asuma laughed, it was a funny sight to see but he admitted, "Aside from the ending I think it was pretty good. Only thing I can tell is that the wind is to strong and you have them next to a weakness, if you left the center as only the water it would be more stable." He noted to them as they walked over. "But for now I see that one taking quite some time to complete. As it not only takes vast control but compatible chakra and plenty of knowledge about each other." He winked at them, "though I would say a year or two more."

Naruto washed them and blew them all off with his jutsu, " Genjutsu kind of sucks... but our control lets us break out quickly save for Hinata who is immune because of the Byuakugan. Then they have their clan techniques and I have my Iryo skills. On top of our tracking skills that you know of already." He shook out what water was left in his hair, "Plus we all have ways of disruption charka and the body with our skills."

"That is true, you are far more advanced that I would have thought but not much further than most Chunnin." HE grinned, 'They should all easily pass the exams.' "Now if you pass the exams you will still be a team. It's not until Jounin that it becomes much different. Usually your clans don't specialize in much beyond your own techniques." He looked at Hinata and Shino who both gave a 'Yeah and?' look to him. "you three are well balanced and actually don't have much individuality but are a true merger of each other. I would like you all to think of a specific area that you don't have in common that could be a true focus for you." 'This is much harder than it would be given their bond.' He sighed internally, "One of you," looking at Hinata and Shino, "Should consider Genjutsu as they would compliment you greatly in your styles as a clan and everything else. Perhaps interrogation," Here he looked at Naruto and Shino. "There are several other areas that are much harder but could be useful to yourself and also to the village like Sealing or Barriers."

The three of them looked at each other before both turned to look at Naruto once more, "Okay .. geez.." He rubbed his head, "I may... have a few more skills Sensei..."

"Oh and what else have you been hidding?"

"Heh.." Rubbing the back of his head, "I've been studying sealing and I may have learned something that isn't native to Konoha because of it.."

Raising a brow, "Now how did you come about this 'mystery' skill?"

"if I said that a missing-nin has been living in the village and has been training me since I was six...secretly and that it was in seals and in Puppetry what would you say. Hypothetically?" Naruto seemed slightly anxious.

" I would say that since we have never caught nor heard about this Ninja that he is either very low on the bingo books or that he is very highly skilled at remaining hidden at all times."Asuma was a bit worried, but the fact Naruto was even coming clean about it meant that either something happened, will happen, or is happening that has caused him to doubt everything. "As for learning a village art that falls onto the head of the ninja who taught you. Though as a missing nin he obviously holds no care for his former village. But I have to ask why you are telling me this if it is true."

Naruto pulled off his shirt revealing the four inch tattoo on his right pectoral. It was an obvious Fox ** with a small symbol that Asuma recognized. They symbol that showed the master who taught the skill, the scorpion of Sasori of the Red Sands. "Since I was six he has been taking care of me, and teaching me. Even before Kabuto-nii started helping me, Sasori-sama was the first person in this village that wanted to help me and actually did it."

he was torn from running straight to the Hokage or falling over at the fact that an S-Class missing nin taught Naruto his trade. It was then that he noticed the unfazed look from the other two. "You two know about this?" They both nodded. Running his hand down his face, "Naruto. How long have you been aware of who Sasori truly is?"

"Since before we left for Wave."

"Okay. Do you know what he is doing here?"

The blond perked up a bit, "Actually yes.. he never made it a secret really." He shrugged his shirt back on. Thankful that he wasn't getting carted of for anything yet. "He was defeated in a fight against Orochimaru destroying all but one of his puppets and leaving him...weakened. This village was the closest so he cam here to rebuild and recover." it felt kind of good to get this off of his mind. "He also left an organization that is planning on hunting my kind and capturing them. He wants revenge against both of them."

"Your kind?" Please tell me this kid isn't talking about what I think he is talking about.

"Jinkurichi yes. He knew who I was as soon as he saw me. He decided he was going to train me so it would be difficult for them to even get me or rather get what's inside. Also since he was Orochimaru's partner in that organization he knows the best chance of finding him was to remain here." Looking completely honest. "The man doesn't lie.. 'The truth is a far sharper weapon than lies.' Plus you don't have to keep track of what you said to who."

Wanting to slap himself or Naruto crossed his mind but it wasn't going to do any good at the moment. "Does anyone else know who he is?"

"Anko and Kabuto know him.. but I don't think they know 'who' if you mean the S-Class thing. He's just a guy who works on puppets and teaches me stuff. Hell I practically live there... he never leaves unless he runs out of something but then he's only gone a few days." The blond retorted, "I meet him at the gate all the time on his way back."

"You know what I have to do now don't you?" Asuma said.

The blond frowned but nodded. He had already taken everything he owned from the shop, and made copies of -everything- he could when Sasori left the last time. As well as tools and parts, hell he was pretty sure the man knew it and would be gone already. "I doubt he's still here plus he didn't attack, kill or steal anything while he was here."

"Have either of you two met Sasori?" They both shook their heads no. " Fine you two can either keep training or return home and work on your clan skills. Naruto you need to come with me."

Hokage's Office

"And that's everything I can tell you." Naruto finished explaining everything. As he pulled Naru from his pocket and unsealed the puppet causing a bit of a reaction from the three ANBU, the Hokage, Asuma and Ibiki. "This is the puppet Naru, it was the first one he gave me.. though I've made changes as I learned." He had the creation go through fighting forms, and do different things before he sealed it back into his scroll.

'He didn't even move to control it.' The hokage thought. Having seen enough puppet users in his day to know there should have been some motion at all. 'He must have really been taught by Sasori, even the mark is real.' Turning to look at Ibiki, " Thoughts?"

The scarred man rubbed his chin before his gruff voice followed. "Nothing occurred during that time, at all. I mean nothing except for reports about Naruto dropping since ANBU weren't having to get him out of trouble." he stared into the blond's eyes searching for something. " Plus if what the kid says is completely true the amount of supplies he bought gave us a fair bit of money. It also gave our village a new skill and a master of it."

"Do you have any Human puppets." Hiruzen asked.

"No, I never went further than animals and have no desire to. As a medic I can't it's just wrong." Naruto was adamant. 'Even if I have Haku's body I could.. but...no.'

"I've already been informed by Anko of the situation prior to this." He leaned back in his chair. "I allowed for him to stay because it was in the interest of helping our village and I honestly didn't want to deal with the paper work from the fall out." The shinobi in the office all snapped their heads to look at the old hokage. "Thank you, now this is to be kept in this office. Outside of those involved if I hear anything I will make sure you will not be found." Pulling out his pipe he started it up and taking a few good drags with a smile. "Naruto stay.. everyone else may go."

They left and naruto was wanting to leave, wanting to yell at the old man for smoking, and wanted to just run and hug him because he wasn't in trouble. "What did you want me to stay for?"

"As your hokage I want to know what you learned about sealing and what you have done to your seal." He glared, "as your 'grandfather' what the hell were you thinking?"

Naruto gulped, "Originally we just had an overlay that acted as a double conversion and storage seal and a flow restriction seal to keep the amount of Kyuubi chakra from entering my body and my coils. To a minimum." taking a seat because he really didn't want to stand for this. "That worked fine to get my control and start me working on being an actual shinobi rather than a walking demon bomb." Running his hand through his hair, "that was until we studied the seal in full. Two things scared us. One that there is another seal somewhere that can alter mine. From shutting it to opening it fully like a key to the cage." He shuddered. "The other was that the seal is constantly opening letting more and more demon chakra into my systems, both my body and my reserves. My body is leathally addicted to it. Which the first fix wasn't helping."

"What do you mean addicted?"

"The main reason all jinkurichi are infants. Our coils are solid and our bodies are still adjusting to everything. If the influx of chakra didn't kill you the 'poison' quality of the chakra would. Our bodies adapted to it and become dependent on it to function. So we fixed it permanently."

he leaned forward in his chair. "What did you do to 'fix' this permanently?"

" We found the point in the seal that infuses my body and my coils with the chakra. Making a duplicate of the orignial purification seal that is used to thin out the demon chakra by running it through a matrix that sends the more 'wild' portion of the chakra into my body, which is the portion I am addicted to, it would shunt the rest directly into my coils." he pulled some paper making a rough diagram to show this. "As the seal opens further I get more of both, it makes control impossible I could just fling chakra and that would be it. But as I said we made a copy, and placed it right over the seal so it would run the Kyubii's chakra into it. That seal was a conversion seal, made to force convert the chakra into Iryo chakra."

"Like the conversion used to convert chakra to an element for tags?"

"Yes. It spun it out, which I am sure that's how I have a Iryo affinity." Shaking his head, "The point is the conversion 'destroys' about eighty percent of the Kyubi Chakra that would have flooded my system, we then placed another conversion seal that I had to compress so that it would convert the pure Iryo chakra into 'mine'. We used the concept form the cursed seal that would convert the bearers chakra into the one that placed the seals. The conversion back looses about three percent more."

Taking a long pull from his pipe he ran the figures through his head, "So you're only getting about fifteen percent of the chakra that is being siphoned from the demon."

Here the blond shook his head, "No. The percentage is being constantly increased because the seal is constantly opening. With the initial seal I was getting maybe seventy percent to my coils. So I'm actually getting far less. About twenty percent after converting to Iryo, then a spin out loosing roughly thirty percent of that to be injected into my body. Then another three percent loss to the reconversion before it enters my coils." He rattled on Seeing the glasses of water on the desk he poured one full. And showed the shift in how much across to the last glass. "I'm getting maybe fiver percent of it all said and done."

The hokage seemed confused, "Then how would that make much of a difference?" he understood the math but he didn't quite grasp the point of messing with the seal so much.

Naruto got up and picked up one of the sake cups, "This is my reserves and coils." he filled it with water leaving a normal distance from the lip. " This would be considered full for any ninja." taking the glass with the 'five percent' and dumping it carefully into the smaller glass the water formed a small rise about the cup with out spilling out. "This is me at all times." Grabbing the pitcher with water still in it. "See full and perfectly controlled however This was me before the seals." And just started dumping the pitcher into the small glass causing water to flow out and continue to cover the table.

"So with the seal your still getting the same flow, but you are constantly forcing it to convert losing quite a bit in the process." He had to admit it was ingenious. " I understand the point of control but why not limit the amount you received in general?"

Naruto used a suiton jutsu lifting the water up and putting it back into the container. "The demon is the chakra. It doesn't have a body so it's personality came with it. The more I would have drawn on it or if someone decided to open the key it would have taken over my mind." He sat back down, "Sasori doesn't want them to get the demon, and the best way is to have me fully in control and no matter how much the seal opens now it will flood me with Iryo chakra so I'll just be a big Healing circuit." 'Not to mention the seal is forcibly converting the demon Inside the seal hehehe.'

"SO what your saying is if you fully opened the seal the demon would be forcibly converted to Iryo and then irradiated through and out of your body?"

"That's the theory and so far everything has been following it."

"How fast do you regenerate?"

"by myself or with the jutsu Kabuto and I came up with to mimic what I can do?"

"Both."

"With out the jutsu I can heal broken bones in about eight hours, with it around forty minutes. Any skin damage is around ten to twenty minutes with out nearly instant with it." He shrugged, "But that's mainly because I know how to heal myself so the chakra in my body flows to those points, where before.. you should know by how long I was in the hospital."

"You're almost the second coming of Tsunade." he chuckled, "But I know you will never start drinking." He set his pipe down, "Jiraiya is our Seal master.. when he arrives in town I would like him to look over your seal to make sure everything is fine?"

"Yea sure.. So I'm really not in trouble?"

"No but next time don't keep something like this from me at least."

"Okay Jiji." he snickered, "So I have permission to use my skills in the Chunnin exam then?"

"Yes however I am adding your mastery in Puppetry to your file." he raised a brow waiting for the argument.

"That's fine, I don't plan on using them yet.. though I have five at the moment Only Katsu and Naru are full combat. You've already met Aero.. since he was the one to bring you back your pipes."

'That was a puppet?' he thought. "I see well I'm sure you will be an interesting one to watch as always.. now I need to get to this paperwork."

Shaking his head, "Don't lie you're going to read Icha Icha and let your clones that are hiding in the next room keep working on the paperwork." As he tossed the book back onto the Hokages desk. Using a chakra string to open it for him. Laughing as he left.

-The workshop-

Naruto walked into the abandoned building feeling sad to see nothing there. Only a seal left on the desk. He activated it seeing as it was a blood seal to find a note in it's place.

_Naruto_

_As you read this know that I am already gone. I knew this day was coming where you would have to be on your own to do what you wanted. I have no hard feelings as I'm sure you have figured out I am no longer truly human. You may have chosen to cut the strings but remember I am the one who let you. My work and need to be in the village was done a time ago but I stayed to watch you grow. I am proud to have had you as my apprentice and I know that when the time comes you will survive. This building is yours consider it part of my last gift to you. The other is an account I have set up for you to continue your work There is no name on the account and blood is all that is needed to verify you are the owner._

_I look forward to facing you when you are older._

_Sasori of the Red Sands_

He smiled, "Thank you." No one was there to hear him yet he new the man would know it. His fingers came into a cross seal and thirty clones appeared. "Half of you unpack everything, the rest of you start placing all the seals to make sure this place is secure and will stay in one piece."

By night fall Naruto stood there exhausted, not from much but the experience of all of his clones had left him fatigued. But his home was finished, down to the perimeter security seals. He would have to tie Anko and Kabuto into them. Everyone else he could negate for their visits but he wanted those two to be allowed to come and go as they wished. The foxes that were now free to play through the grounds stayed close to their kennel but were still 'free'. The seals on them keeping them within the property, he didn't want to think of the consequences for releasing them back into the wild. Tomorrow he would see if he couldn't get a gennin team to do some yard work and do the painting for him. Hehe, maybe he would get team seven to do it.


	8. Chapter 8

'Note to self, building a secret basement is not fun,' Naruto thought to himself as he and his clones had spent a week creating a hidden space in his new home. Between using it as practice for his doton techniques and then secreting in the materials via sealing scroll hadn't been that hard. But buying everything he needed, from different shops in town so that it would be harder to guess his plans that had been difficult. Call him paranoid. "You're paranoid!"

"You're a clone."

"So are you, does this make us schizophrenic as wall?"

Naruto turned to glare at his clones. "Shut up and get back to work." As he turned back to bracing the new supports of his house. In actuality the three weeks of work had turned the 'hidden lair' in to a practical whole other home. The two story underground bunker was where he ended up spending most of his time. Putting in a workshop for his puppets, a if he could boast rather impressive medical lab. Along with the full compliments of a large home, as well as a training room and the room he was most proud of His 'control room'.

The last was an empty room with a large sealing array spread over every surface. It was essentially a remote seal that had several other functions from powering his security seals, maintaining the integrity seals for the complex, as well it linked to about eighty seals throughout the village. Those seals were mostly 'docking stations' for a handful of puppets he was working on. Any of these puppets could go there recharge their chakra and copy the information they gathered. That would then be transferred here where he could 'download' it just as if it were like dispelling a clone. Because it was. Thanks to the modified Shadow Clone seal he created years ago, it allowed him to implant the clone into the puppet, at the seal they would dispel and take on a new clone.

The downside it seemed where that his clones were gaining a bit of individuality from such extended use. Shaking the thoughts from his mind he tacked in the last nail. "I'm going to get cleaned up, you guys finish unpacking and putting everything away." He waited for the nod from his clones before enjoying the comforts of a hot bath.

The steam filled the air as he felt his muscles relax as images from the clones filled his mind continuously for twenty minutes. "I really do abuse this jutsu." He mused, but then anyone with reserves as large as his could. That being roughly maybe twenty people, nine of which were containers such as himself. The other eleven would be Kage level and above, give or take their control and if they knew the jutsu. "Exams are coming up...in a month." HE shot up in the water. "That Haku...was dead less that a minute when I sealed the body...I only stopped the heart..."

Jumping out of the tub and grabbing his towel he dried off quickly as the clones memories played through his mind. Getting dressed quickly he ran to the workshop grabbing the scroll and then headed to his 'med lab'. Placing the scroll on the table he started searching for a few things before he placed a syringe and a vial of sedative before he took a breath. 'Okay I really only get one chance at this...' He thought before he quickly dress out a stasis seal tag. If he screws up he can still preserve the body, taking a deep breath he summoned three clones before unsealing the still warm after so long body. The four began work hoping the theory was sound enough to work.

The seconds ticked into minutes, and minutes into hours. Before the clones each dispersed and Naruto stood there in a sad shake of his head he slide a sealing array under the boys head and began a long string of seals before bright purple flames sprung up from his fingers then he sunk them into the temples his eyes flying open as the array started glowing in a dark light. Blood flowed from Haku's nose sliding down onto the seal. While blood seeped out around Naruto's glowing fingers, as it pooled in his hands.

The jutsu ended and Naruto sagged almost dropping to the ground,catching himself he took several deep breaths. Before he placed the stasis seal on the body, "I was so close...", Then pulled the sheet up over the body. He started scrubbing the blood from his hands, his thoughts constantly going to the body that was laying in the next room over. Coupled with the memories he just copied the boy believed he was a tool, to be used and discarded...I could..but wold it be right? He shook his head once more, but the thoughts kept coming. "Just one...and he'll stay in the house."

-Hokage's office-

Hiruzen was looking over some reports when an ANBU arrived, "Hokage-sama." the masked figure spoke.

"Report." His eyes never leaving the reports.

"Hai, after finding the residence of Uzumaki I was unable to determine much." He shifted slightly, "Though I can confirm the reports of team seven and Kakashi, the property does have a drain on chakra. It's not noticed at first but the longer you stay the more is drained and the quicker. If I were to make a guess I would say it's some sort of security defense. Any civilians would pass out long before actually reaching the main building."

Aged eyes looked up, "Given his past it doesn't surprise me, however this does raise some questions as to how."

"I also noted quite a bit of Chakra usage over the last three months, but no outward signs of jutsu." the man continued, "There were however quite a few shifts in the ground so I conclude it was much more likely he was using Doton Techniques. However they were done within the confines of the home."

"Thank you, I will go visit myself." He dismissed the ANBU.

-Uzumaki Compound-

The aged Sarutobi looked over the low walls as he stood at the gate. The grounds had been manicured along with some decorative flower beds put in. The former storage facility looked as if it were built as a home, the low slung building save a small second story tower sprawled in the center. The deep blue paint along with the white accents made it fairly attractive. He would say Naruto was now doing fairly well for himself. His attention however was taken by three red blurs that seemed to play through the yard, stopping he could tell they were foxes. Oddly he could sense strong chakra coming from them, his only guess was if the grounds kept absorbing their limited chakra their reserves would have grown.

"Jiji are you coming in or are you just going to stare?" Naruto called from the door with a smile.

"I've heard rumors about your new home." He stated from the gate.

"Well come in I've got tea ready anyway." Naruto greeted after sprinting down the walk to the gate.

The two of them walked back, however the Hokage noted no changes in his own chakra. "So tell me Naruto-kun what have you been doing with this place?"

the blond laughed slightly as the made their way to the sitting room, a clone bringing in the tea before dispersing. "Well Sasori-sama had bought it, when I told you everything he left town before I could get here. All I found was a note saying he left this property and a bank account for me. He may have been a missing-nin but he still had a heart I guess." 'Guess Ha that's probably all he actually has left.' Pouring the tea, "So It beats the apartment plus people really don't come out here that much."

Taking his cup, "Thank you," His eyes looked the place over. He did have to admit it was very clean, and well decorated. "I had a strange report from the gennin team that was assigned for the D-Rank mission you requested not to long ago."

"Oh?" Taking a sip from his tea.

"Yes Kakshi in particular seemed to think that while here their chakra slowly was being drained away." He raised his eye brow slightly.

"Oops?"

"Oops Naruto?"

"I must have forgot to key them in when they got here." He shrugged, "It's just a simple chakra draining array used to power the integrity and security seals. Nothing major."

"The ANBU report said that if a civilian tried to come in they wouldn't make it to the house..."

"Exactly, I may not be the annoying brat I used to be but seriously people in this village would try attacking my home like they did my apartment once they found out where I moved to." He sat his cup down slowly. "When I'm in the village it's turned down that mid level reserves will last at least to the house in case I need summoned. When I leave I turn them up to the point Chunnin or lower would pass out twenty feet from the gate."

"That's a bit excessive don't you think?"

"I don't have a clan or family to really watch over my things Jiji... All my puppets or any of my scrolls on it are here.. I won't risk them being stolen because someone doesn't think the DEMON should have that knowledge." He leveled his eyes, "Anyone who has earned my trust is keyed into the seal to leave them alone if they decided to come by when I'm here or not so it's not doing any harm unless they are trying to break into my private property."

"Fair enough though I do wonder where you learned to create seals like that?"

He shrugged again, "Sasori taught me, puppetry is done mostly with seals. Which is why I don't want it getting around since if you know them well enough someone could just take my puppets and use them with out earning the right."

'I didn't really think of that, it would also explain how they made the adjustment to Naruto's seal as well as they did.' Taking another sip. "I hope I'm one of the few allowed in?"

A bright smile grew on Naruto's face, "Of course you are, I isolated your signature when you got to the gate and keyed you in before I came down to get you."

A small smile showed on the hokages features, "thank you Naruto-kun." Setting his empty cup down, "Though I do wonder about the foxes? It just seems a bit antagonistic doesn't it?"

Chuckling a bit, "Maybe but that was the point at first. They are relatives to Katsu, they were bred a few generations with some seals so I could make the puppet. I'm not exactly proud of what I did to them but that's why I keep them to remind me to not just follow someone blindly because of a little affection shown me." His features darkened slightly. " I didn't modify them genetically or anything but the seals I used 'forced' them to grow reserves and gave them limited control over the chakra enough to enhance their senses and use a few tricks like tree and water walking." ' And enough for some low powered genjutsu.' He looked out the window, "Not really any different from the Inuzuka dogs actually it's where I got the concept."

The hokage was a little shocked at the revelation of what the boy had done. But given the situation would anyone have been much different? He was just glad the boy was still loyal to the village and had a love and respect for him. "Could I possibly see this Katsu?" He asked, "And maybe look at how a puppet works?"

Naruto thought about it before he summoned the fox puppet, "It's an advanced skill but even some in Suna use it. Sasori, Chiyo, Garan and Myoto are all users of the 'human puppet' technique. Sasori was the only one who went perhaps beyond the allowed line of that with what he did."

The hokage was crouched in front of the puppet, he could sense Chakra from it along with the barest hints of Naruto's which must be controlling it. The twitch of it's eyes down the the rising and falling of it's rib cage. It he wasn't told he would never know the difference between this and a living one from the yard. "Beyond the line?"

Naruto nodded, "Turning a fallen enemy into a puppet isn't considered wrong, looked the other way yes. However purposefully killing someone to make them a puppet definitely wrong." 'Even more so is turning yourself into one.' He finished in his own thoughts.

"I..see, So what makes Katsu so 'life-like'?"

"Besides he was once a living fox it would be how I constructed him. Sasori didn't care for 'realism' just the actual function of the technique." He sent Katsu off into his office only to come back with a rather large scroll in it's mouth dropping it onto the table. "These are the schematics for this puppet." He unrolled the scroll to reveal the complex design of not only the inside parts but the full array that let him use it all.

Sarutobi sat down and looked everything over with a clinical eye. It was a fascinating concept and after realizing how complex the seals were it amazed him further with just what Naruto had managed to accomplish in five years. "You're telling me not only can you create a real fox but it shoots exploding tags, acid spheres, and senbon along with having a poisoned bit and claws."

Naruto nodded, "Yea he's actually rather simple compared to some puppets I've seen.. I mean if it were a true human any jutsu and skills they knew in life I could use with the puppet."

'That would explain why Sasori is considered so dangerous really, if he turned the Sandaime Kazekage into a puppet...' His thoughts ran in that direction for some time as his eyes would move from the diagram up to Naruto and back. "Would you ever consider making a true human puppet?"

Naruto flinched, "I've thought about it... but...it would have to be a pretty long and thought out concept. I mean I couldn't do it if they had family, or if they were you know.. a person."

"Naruto that wasn't the answer I was looking for," the hokage said softly.

Looking down, "I know.. I've already started on one...it was Zabuza's partner. I tested the body recently after remember I had it stored in a scroll. He had a blood line form Kiri, I already collected genetic material for the CRA from him, enough to actually introduce it into a clan."

"What was the bloodline?" 'I can't believe I'm asking. But, if we could do this and we could credit Naruto with bringing in a new bloodline it would get some of the council of if his back.' Rubbing his face, 'I'm getting to old for this job.'

"Hyuton, I can even copy down a fair amount of the jutsu for it as well to be passed along with the samples."

"Promise me two things." He looked into the boys blue eyes, "One that you will not use this technique on any Konoha resident civilian or shinobi. Two you inform me or the current Hokage of any knew human puppets and if they possess a bloodline that you document the techniques and collect enough samples for the CRA."

"I promise Jiji. I'll even ensure that they wear a Brand or marker showing they are a puppet." 'I'll simply put the Uzumaki crest on them.' He secretly thought. Knowing he was going to give the Naruku a Hitae-aite with the swirl on it.

"That's very thoughtful Naruto. Now if you could have the jutsu and the samples delivered." He began.

"I can hand them over now if you would like, I have to just seal them in a scroll for you." he got up and disappeared for a while before returning with a white and blue scroll. "Blood, Tissue, Bone samples are marked along with Seamen collections before I deactivated the body. Along with the sixteen jutsu the donor was aware of though I am sure there are more out there these were just the ones I could recover from the mind."

"You know that jutsu?"

"It is a medic jutsu, as well it helps with controlling the puppet as I am fully aware of all the information I collected from them." He sighed settling himself down. Sometimes being almost thirteen and having the life experiences from his clones for almost five years made him feel much older than he was. "If needed I will volunteer my skills."

"How are you coping with the feedback?" He asked, "it takes years of mental training to handle the information."

Naruto shook his head, "I used seven shadow clones a day from the age of six now I use roughly twenty or more on a daily basis."

Hiruzen was slightly shocked, but he knew the boy used them he just wasn't aware of how often he guessed or rather how many. " Why so many now?"

"Projects mostly, I guess.. but truthfully half of any clones I make still work on chakra control exercises." Seeing the questioning look. "My coils still are solidified because of the continued pressure from the seal, on average you could do the control exercises every now and then and still keep your level even with the growth over time.. Mine are constantly increasing at roughly twenty times the rate of an active gennin, who is trying to build their reserves." He ran his hand through his hair once more, "If I live to absorb the entire demon, I will have enough chakra to equal the Nibi no Mekomata. As it goes right now that would be about four to five years because of the changes to seal and as long as it continues 'opening' at it's current rate."

-Day of the Exams-

Team eleven walked up to the academy, a little more than a year had passed since they had been inside and each of them had grown far beyond what they had been taught within. Shino had gotten a newer coat like Naruto's and wore black high necked shirt underneath covering the lower half of his face. Hinata had taken to wearing a dark blue sleeveless coat with a long sleeved ninja mesh shirt worn underneath and a simple set of matching ANBU style pants. All three had their weapon attached to them Naruto his Hariken on his back, Shino had his black staff resized up his sleeve, while Hinata had her whip tucked just inside her coat.

The three of them quietly walked in and took the back way up to the third floor before arriving outside of the testing room. Taking the chance to look down the stairs to see several teams trying to get into the door below them. Looking at each other they just shook their heads. Turning they walked into the room to see several teams already there. Naruto scanned them seeing Kumo, Waterfall, Suna... He stopped starring at that team a creepy kid with a gourd, along with a girl that had a fan. It was the last one that he didn't like and couldn't help the sneer that grew on his features as he saw the puppet strapped to his back. "Pitiful." 'Now I will use them just to see how good he actually is with that piece of junk.'

It wasn't long before more teams started to file in however he was surprised to see team seven arrive and couldn't help but notice they still looked like they did a year ago. "I see you made it Naruto-kun."

Turning he smiled, "Kabuto-nii you're actually taking it this time?"

"Hehehe, yes. Sasori-sama is gone allowing me more time to myself." Kabuto said with a smile.

Laughing, "Or is it because your girlfriend is helping out with the exams this year?"

"What did you say about Sasori?" A voice interrupted them both.

Turning they saw the boy from the Suna team that Naruto wanted to test. "Nothing that concerns a failed attempt at a puppet user that's for sure." Naruto scoffed at him.

"I'm Kankuro no Sobaku, and what would you know about puppets." He glared.

Shaking his head, "More than you if you're still carrying scrap like that on your back."

"Why you."He started to say only for a puff of smoke to appear and a small head of blond hair filled his vision as he felt a hand push him away from Naruto.

"This is a puppet, that. " he pointed to the boys back, "is nothing more than a child's toy."

Kankuro looked at the small puppet in front of him seeing that it looked rather like the boy he had confronted he could almost see the crafting marks in it. "So you stole our village technique."

Naruto laughed, "Hardly I was the apprentice of Sasori." he pulled his shirt down to reveal his mark before letting it go. "I wouldn't mind testing Naru against that piece of junk if only to see it fall apart." Naru flicked it's fingers setting a few senbon into the straps holding the puppet to make Naruto's point.

Kankuro saw it, but didn't see any movement from the user. 'This is bad...' "Yea whatever..." He huffed and stalked off to the corner with his team.

"Alright Maggots there will be no fighting or killing unless I say so." A voice boomed catching everyones attention. "I'm Morino Ibiki and I will be the proctor for your first exam." The man seemed to glare at everyone. "Take a number then find that seat. You will be taking a written exam. Each worth ten points. Each question is worth on point, you loose two points if you're caught cheating, if you loose ten points you and your team are failed. Your team needs at least fifteen points to pass this portion of the exam." He rattled off the rules in boredom as they took their seats. "you have one hour, at the end I will give you question ten with around ten minutes to finish begin."

Naruto looked over the test, and began answering the questions. He sighed realizing how easy the test was. Not that he understood that it was suppose to be extremely difficult for the average gennin. But he was far from average with his up to current four teachers. He finished looking up at the clock seeing there was still thirty minutes turning his paper over and pushing it to the corner he pulled out a scroll and started working on the plans that he had inside it for the rest of the time. "Number 67 two points."

He looked up as that was his number and raised his hand. "How am I cheating when I finished five minutes ago?"

The proctor that called him out walked over and looked at his desk seeing the test flipped. Taking it he looked over all of the answers before turning to Ibiki, "He's right.. it's done and they are all correct... do I give the points back?"

Ibiki looked at them both, 'even the hidden chunnin aren't finished yet...how..' "Yes..."

That over with Naruto went back to work with a small smirk on his face. 'Now if I can alter the rotations of the chakra it should help stabilize the shape. But that would require a little more chakra...' he thought as he looked over the equations and diagrams for a jutsu he was working on. 'I can't use suiton for a base simply because I can't pull enough water for this size.. but futon... yes that would help with a bit but I would need to compensate the area around it with more chakra or infuse it the water in the area as a side affect, plus I would need to lower the pressure and temperature of the air while using this...' He began drawing pressure augments and trying to determine the consumption versus usage variables. 'Even at full power I could only pull this off twice right now.' With a smirk he wrote Ten no Iki across the top of the scroll, Breath of the Heavens indeed kukuku.

As he was sitting there he felt his seal flare and his body begin to burn before the iryo chakra in his system began fighting the feeling. Naruto doubled over for a moment, "Fuck.." he breathed out.'Key.. seal.. FOCUS'. He yelled into his own thoughts as he tried to reign in the force of chakra now pouring into his system. Unaware of it but he had a faint cloak of green chakra glowing from his body.

Elsewhere, "Are you sure that is wise Jariaya-sama?"

An older man with spiky white hair and red markings under his eyes nodded, "The Gaki is going to need to get used to the extra chakra. With Akatsuki coming for him it's better this way, besides I only opened it up to where it would be two years from now.." He looked to the strange shaped toad. "I'm going to head to Konoha and try to help the kid access the chakra and learn to use it. It's not like he's taking the chunnin exams. Sensei told me he just graduated last year, no one would put a rookie team in like that."

Back with Naruto he was swearing a great deal as he finally managed to pull the chakra into control. He looked at everyone staring at him, only those five in the room he had trusted enough about the Kyubii plus Kabuto knew what that was. Though Kabuto knew a fair bit more mouthing the word 'key' to him. He only nodded with a slightly pained expression.

Ibiki had a worried look seeing let alone feeling that much chakra come from the kid. 'Shouldn't the Demon have been red? And I didn't feel anything evil it was actually kind of peaceful really.' He noted aside from the strong burst it did seem to have a relaxing affect on the room. The tenth question came and went with no one leaving due to the fall out form that chakra. Even surprisingly to him Anko actually managed to wait til he was finished before bursting through the window.

"Seventy-two you're loosing your touch Ibiki." She chuckled before winking at her two boys.

"They're better than I expected but I'm sure you'll cut most of them off at the knees." he grinned, 'I should inform Hokage-sama of this.'

She smirked, "Alright you piss-ants I'm Anko Mittarashi, I will be your proctor for the second portion of the exam. Follow me." She walked out the door .

Team eleven stayed back, Shino having tagged a few of them with bugs to make sure they could follow. Ibiki watched them gather together for a moment before he walked over, "Explanation please?"

Naruto with a heavy look of concentration on his face, "Tell the old man someone has the key and decided to open it up. Tell him two years.." he bit out before he pushed himself up and looked around for a moment. "Is anyone going to be using the room for today?" getting a shake of the head no, Naruto filled the room with shadow clones a look of relief flooding his features. "Control exercises until you run out." Before him and his team left Ibiki in a room of over one hundred Narutos.

"I really need a new job." He shook his head reaching into his pocket and pulled out a flask that he downed before vanishing off to the Hokage.

-During the Second Portion of the Exam-

The old Sarutobi had a frown on his face as he looked over the reports keeping an eye on the tower he saw the teams enter and smiled softly when team Eleven found their way in. "Three days, good job Naruto-kun."

"Three days? You mean he's in the exam Sensei?" Jaraiya said as he hoped through the window.

"Yes Jaraiya my boy, all the rookie teams were put forward this year. SO far they have all made it except for team seven." The hokage said while looking at his former student.

Rubbing his head, "Oh... then that might have been a bad idea.."

"What would have?" he leveled the man with a stare.

Laughing nervously, "I used the key scroll to open the seal further a few days ago..."

"What?" He slammed his hand on the desk, "I tell you I want his seal looked at five months ago.. you just now get here and tell me you opened it further with out checking it first!"

Jaraiya leaned back confused, "Hey I trust Minato's seal to work just as it was made.. I don't know why it needs looked at. No one in the village has the skills to alter it."

"You're right no one from our village DID have the skills. However after finding out somethings from Naruto.. which is why I wanted you to look at it. The seal was altered by him and his former teacher." Sitting down heavily into his chair he shook his head.

He was shocked, "Who taught the gaki seals? No one should have in this village.. hell there's not even another actual seal master out there. I've looked!"

"Apparently you over looked Sasori of the Red Sands."

"He's part of Akatsuki!"

"No.. he left the same time Orochimaru did if Naruto is to be believed, which I do." he pulled a file from his desk and tossed it to his former student. "That is Naruto's current file. Given from what he has revealed and Asuma has compiled from being his sensei."

Looking at the think folder, "Asuma.. I figured Kakshi would have been."

"Naruto scored in the top percent in his class, and is verging on Jounin in ability if not experience." He rubbed his brows.

He opened the folder and began scanning the documents, letting out a low whistle. "Medic, Puppet Master...Suiton and Futon affinity and working on Doton... Wait how do you know about Akatsuki?"

"Naruto was told everything by Sasori. Including his status a jinkurichi, along with teaching him to master puppets. Which includes a strong basis of seals after seeing the designs for what Naruto refered to as a 'simple' puppet. He was taught from the age of six by Sasori. Also he was taught to be a medic from the same age by one of our Gennin Kabuto Yahuhi, a medical genius according to the hospital. He then received further combat training from Anko Mittarashi after finding a way to destroy the curse seal." He waved a hand at the folder, "It's all in there... as well as a copy of the method he used."

The mans jaw was hanging, as he listened and continued to read through it all which took him nearly an hour. Closing the folder he sat it on the desk, "He even repaired Kakashi's sharingan."

Nodding, "He also revived and documented a new bloodline that is now being propogated into the Haru Clan."

"Their kind of small.. and typically low reserves..."

"But the best control over all, and since it's a sub element of Ice it would be best that way make them work harder even with the new prestige of the bloodline." He sighed pouring himself a cup of sake. "there's going to be a one month training window after the second test, I want you to check the seal for further tampering that he may not know of. From what he told me before you messed with it he had about five years before he managed to absorb the whole of the demon."

"It should take twenty years for that to happen...even with me pushing the seal further."

"That's why I want it looked at. The estimation that he would have equal levels of chakra to the nibi once done is better than that of the Kyubii. However I am informed that your decision happened during the written portion of the exam, which caused him to create over one hundred shadow clones just to not look in pain and had them begin a mass chakra control practice over running the academy for two days." Downing the glass, "Here are directions to his estate why don't you go and wait there for him?"

Jaraiya took the paper and jumped out the window, "I'll let you know what I find out."

Smirking, "And Naruto will find you passed out in the yard. Since you will be hiding there for at least a day." Making a few clones he got up and laid down on the couch. "A nap does sound good."


	9. Chapter 9

AN: Sorry for the long wait on this one.. some muse and most importantly TIME has come back to me. So... here ya go hope you like and let me know what you think.. 

Landing on a branch just outside of the property line the Sannin looked over the low fence and neatly trimmed grass. The majority of the property was bare of any place for cover nor did it have any trees save for a sparse handful of sakura trees that buffeted against the sides of the warehouse turned into a small estate home.

A small group of foxes skittered and played along the grass coming and going from a rather large mound that was surrounded by bushes with a willow tree cresting the mound, a koi pond butting against the back of the mound.

Jaraiya let out a faint and low whistle, 'Gaki's doing well for himself.' With a final look around he jumped from the tree to the yard, planning on making his way to the roof to take up a good spot behind the tower sticking up from the lower floor. The five steps he took were his last before he passed out, not seeing the clones appear around him and dragging him inside the house locking him inside the 'guest' wing before dispelling.

-Two Days Later-

Naruto had just left his team mates, all of them having passed the individual portion of the second exam. The fact he had to forgo any form of chakra related skills for the fight had put him at a slight disadvantage he knew this month would be used on re working all of his chakra control, along with finding a way around the key to his seal. Something like this couldn't happen again.

Placing his hand on the Spiral seal on his gate he absorbed the clone memory, "I have a guest... and if the bingo book was right then it's Jaraiya." It was widely known the man was a sealing master, so there was really only one or two reasons he would be here. The first was more than likely Jiji having the man look at the changes done to the seal, the other would be to probably question him about his puppet seals which weren't up for discussion.

Shaking his head as he walked up the path he created twenty clones that all took off to different spots to begin working on his control exercises. He had slipped form his perfect level down to low chunin and it wasn't acceptable to him, as it would allow him to barely control two puppets. Walking through the doors he slipped off his shoes and made enough food for two people before he opened the locks to let the man free.

Pushing the door open Naruto was instantly accosted by the sight of nothing save a note.

You will have to do better than that Naruto Uzumaki, you forgot to block summoning from being used inside. Come find me where the sweetest fruits dance among the warm waters.

Jaraiya-Greatest of the Sannin-Toad Sage-Lady Killer

"Well it's not like.." He shook his head and frowned. How was he supposed to stop a group of S-ranked missing ninja if he couldn't contain just one? "Sensei was right...the next step has to be done." Spinning he left the room and made his way to the 'Work Shop'.

-Several Hours Later-

Blond hair was tied back and hidden beneath a bandana, his clothes covered by a slick black trench coat that glistened with a coating of fresh blood. The surgical table held the splayed body of Haku, as seals were being etched into the bones, certain organs as well were now covered in the black markings of seals, preserving them. The large scroll containing the seals and designs for Legion hung on a rack on the wall. Slowly he, and the few clones that had been working, began to heal the cuts leaving nothing behind but unmarred pale flesh.

"So you decided." Kabuto's soft voice called from the doorway.

Blue eyes stared into steely gray. "Yes..." reching behind him he undid the straps on the coat and took it off, tossing it into a vat of water. "and I used my designs not Sasori-sama's."

Pushing off the door ram he walked over to the table looking over the body, "May I?"

Waving a hand, "go ahead, I need to wash off." Taking his own leave he stepped into the back room the sound of a shower soon filled the air.

The acknowledgment wasn't even heard, as the elder boys hands were already glowing with chakra. The initial shock of what Kabuto found had indeed caused a raised brow, and several muttering of ingenious.

"There wasn't much else I could do..." Naruto said as he walked back in toweling off his hair, "I just couldn't kill him.."

"It's the medic in you." Kabuto nodded, though he himself didn't have such qualms much like his companion Anko. "What about the risk of him recovering?"

Tossing the towel into the vat along with his dirty clothes, "Between the Information Recovery Jutsu, and the seals used in the Human Puppet technique...there's only a two percent chance." He shrugged, "Add in that I used the Shadow Control Technique Seal...even if Haku regains function he would have all my memories compacted over his own."

Nodding along as this was all things he knew after being a part of Naruto's life and training for the last six years. "Have you thought about..." He pushed his glasses up, "Using the Cursed seal?"

A slight shake of his head and frown, "I won't even consider it until the whole of the fuzzy ass is processed."

"A very wise consideration." He clapped and rubbed his hands together, "So as your Aniki do I get the first demonstration?" a faint grin stretched over his features.

Smirking he let the charka form and fly from his finger connecting to Haku, "Of course."

"Of Course" The puppet spoke as it shakily stood up and walked over to another table that held all of the effects that had been originally on the body, minus the destroyed clothes. The limbs twitched as they had remained stiff and near death for to long as it dressed in the clothing that Naruto had laid out for it.

"Muscular atrophy..." Kabuto noticed as he stroked his chin, "Motor control is lacking as well... I would assume that is the caused by the difference in the Human Puppet technique and the Shadow Puppet technique?"

Haku, now dressed in loose black pants a dark blue sleeveless turtleneck along with the weapons he had worn previously, moved to stand next to Naruto. The blond spoke, "Actually no it's more I'm not used to controlling him as of yet. Though using the Shadow technique will keep him fed and the body trained to build up it's skills." He placed a hand on the puppet, " It's where Sasori-sama failed when he changed himself, his body died. Though I am pretty sure his future puppets will be more like mine as often as he kept studying my design."

Nodding along to the explanation, " That is a logical conclusion," Checking his watch, "I have to go and meet Anko, just let us know if you need any help during your month off before the next test." He smiled, "She did mention trying to see if you could sign the Snake contract."

"Yatta." pumping his fist in the air, "Well I have to go find Jaraiya."

"Try the hot springs." He waved over his shoulder, "Ja ne." Heading up the stairs.

Shaking his head, "Great... the Sannin actually is a pervert." Looking at the puppet he formed the seals for his jutsu ending in the Cross Seal for the Shadow Clone. "Shadow Puppet Control Jutsu." Smoke plumed around Haku, before revealing the Puppet to be smirking with Cerulean blue eyes instead of the deep brown they had been before.

"Puppet jutsu Success." Haku spoke.

"Good put him through our training, just remember.."

"TO eat and heal the body after I know." Shaking it's head of dark hair. "I'm your clone baka, now go find that old pervert."

Laughing, "Just sooo creepy." He grinned, "Take the Ryo and get the Facial Tattoo we told Jiji about."

-Hot Spring Number Six-

Stalking through the streets of Konoha was a very irritated Naruto. Having visited five other hot springs looking for the old man. The downside being this had been the most out on his own in the Hidden village in six years. Some how he had almost forgotten the looks, the hatred and the abuse he suffered at their hands. The faint giggle of a man caught his ear, his eyes narrowed as they zeroed in on an older man with long spiky white hair and dressed in a deep crimson outfit with forest green accents.

Both Hands formed a half ram seal as he punched forward, "Shadow Snake Bind." The copper and silver colored snakes launched from his bands. His hands already sending out chakra strings to take control of his puppets.

The sannin spun catching the snakes, The name of the jutsu had caused him to worry as only two people should be dealing with snakes and the boys voice wasn't one of them. "Where did you learn that.." HE spoke as he took in the boys features.

"None of your business," He smirked as the snakes coiled and locked around his arms, "Capture Success." His hands coming together to form the snake seal, activating the gravity seals on the puppets.

Jaraiya frowned before he felt the weight on his arms bringing him to the ground for fear of having them ripped off in his surprise. "What jutsu was that?" He asked trying to move his arms.

"If you read the file Jiji said he was going to give you you should know how a gravity seal works." He smirked, "Or you really aren't Jaraiya of the Sannin but just and Old Pervert."

"No respect Gaki.." He flexed, "Now let me up so we can go over what Sensei asked me to I have more than enough things to do that looking at the doodles of some wet behind the ears Gennin."

Frowning, 'I really don't like this guy... he's just to forward.' His thoughts caused him to flash back to the horrid orange and blue jump suit he used to wear, 'Kami damn it I almost ended up like him.' Shaking the thoughts from his head, "Fine..." Deactivating the seals and maneuvering Maru and Taru back to his own arms and resealing them in their bands. "

'Kids not summoning them, and they weren't alive.' He thought as he stood up, "Alright brat, Now how about we go somewhere and have a look at your situation first."

-That Night-

Hiruzen Sarutobi and Jaraiya sat in the kage's office smoking a and sharing a few cups of sake discussing one of several topics they had in common and that would be one Naruto Uzumaki.

"So what did you think of him?" Taking a long pull from his pipe, his aged brown eyes looking over his long time student and most loyal to the village.

Taking a swig that would make his teammate proud he sat the bottle down, "If it wasn't for the hair and eyes I would never know he was Minato's kid." He shook his head, "Until he starts talking. Kids so much like his mother in looks and a split in personality between them... What the hell happened?"

"Well," The aged Sarutobi spoke as he leaned forward, "Since you chose to maintain your spy net rather than take care of your own godson, he was left to the tender cares of the village for six years before taken on as the Apprentice of Akasuna no Sasori until this year." He glared, "He was also taught by an aspiring young medic who will one day rival Tsunade if not surpass her with his skills, and the abandoned apprentice of your former Team mate."

" I was supposed to teach him fuinjutsu..." He started to blather before he stopped, "You let a Missing Nin live in this village and teach.."

Hirzuen shook his head, "I didn't let.. I arranged it for information on Orochimaru and an organization known as Akatsuki." He folded his fingers, "Both of which you barely had any information on last we spoke. IN return I gave him leeway with what he taught Naruto since he wasn't under my command nor any part of this village the council couldn't intervene."

The sannin flinched, the words digging into him in more than one direction. "I had more responsibility and I couldn't take him with me, not that they would have let me after you went and told everyone he was a Jinchuriki." He took another long swig from the bottle, " I offered to train him for the one month period...but I don't think my style fits him."

"Be sure that you do.." Hiruzen looked out the window, "We both know what one of my wayward students is going to be doing soon." Looking back, "He's a good kid and talented like both his parents Jaraiya-kun.. he's also more cynical than either of them." Letting out a sigh, "I gave Asuma the scrolls, I've also already decided he will be promoted and put the paper work through. With his skills as a medic and his mastery of puppets he's easily ready." Letting out a wistful sigh, "He's truly a mix between them but strongly his own at the same time." Shaking his head, "Now what about the seal?"

"That he is.." Sighing as well as the visions of past mistakes haunted him, "Stronger than it ever was. I opened it hoping it would give me a way to get closer to him by teaching him to draw on it's chakra.. but." Running his hands over his face.

"But what?"

"The alterations, they do more than Naruto knows. He's no sealing master but he got enough talent and genius like his father." A wistful smile crossed his features for a moment, "But outside of what he told us, which is true, about the conversion Sasori went further, the seal is forcefully converting the Foxes chakra before it even leaves the seal and gets reconverted again and then shunted to him..." He shook his head, "there are a few other things but nothing harmful, I'm more concerned about those snakes of his.."

"Weren't you listening.. They are his puppets." He barked exasperatedly. "That was why I let him learn. Outside of the fact it gave him acceptance and skills it bought him immunity since he's the only one with the skill he can pick or choose to pass it on."

"Those were puppets?" He frowned, "They felt real.. except they weren't alive..."

"Yes he knows those techniques, he also has a rather convincing Fox names Katsu that I had the pleasure of meeting." Stroking his beard, "and a Falcon as well... and if everything pans out I wouldn't be surprised to see another soon." He frowned slightly, "I don't like the methods but he has made me promises on what can be made and who can't be." Setting his pipe down, "Work on what you think is best but just remember he's mature enough to handle a lot but let him make his own choices."


End file.
